The Rescuers
by TheGuineapig3
Summary: Lina Inverse may have a fierce reputation, but even the infamous Dragon Spooker can be tender-hearted when it comes to a child in need. However, for all Lina and Gourry's new charge lacks in family, she makes up for in inexplicable connections to illegal magic potions, clandestine royal correspondences, and a Mazoku plot threatening the stability of the White Magic Kingdom. LG/AZ
1. All This for a Loaf of Bread?

Hello! Thanks for stopping by to take a look at the story. For those who've read my fanfiction, _Another Adventure_ , the summary for this fanfiction might sound a little familiar. This fanfiction is not a rewrite, but is a reimagining of the original premise of _Another Adventure_. That was my very first fanfiction- my first real writing project altogether. While I'm still proud of the plot, I feel that the execution is indicative of my skill level at the time, and so I've challenged myself to try again, incorporating everything I've learned in the meantime. While it may be inspired by earlier ideas, **this is a fic separate and independent from all my others** , and I'm hoping it will be a success in its own right.

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. I hope you enjoy, and if you feel led to leave a review, please read my note at the end of the chapter.

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 **1- All This for a Loaf of Bread?**

"Your fever is up again. Did something happen?"

Amelia pressed a damp cloth to her grandfather's cheek, looking at the pallor of his face in concern. He reached up and placed his hand over hers, giving a reassuring smile.

"No, nothing much. I suppose it's the summer heat. This year's been brutal."

"It has." Amelia left the side of Eldoran's bed so that she could refill the glass of water on the nightstand. "I hope that Gracia is enjoying herself somewhere cooler. How did she seem in your letter?" She motioned to the folded piece of paper that Eldoran had placed beside him on the windowsill.

"She seemed her normal, cheerful self," he replied, "but if something was wrong, I assume that she'd sooner tell her sister than her grandfather. What have you heard from her?"

"Not much, to tell the truth." Amelia set the water glass back down and sat on the end of the bed next to her grandfather's feet. "Only that she's having a grand time trying the craft beers in the city where she's lodging. She never changes."

"That's good, then. Good to hear."

"She _did_ say she wouldn't be able to make it for my birthday, though..."

Eldoran chuckled hoarsely. "You have a birthday every year, Amelia. She probably doesn't think it's special enough to come all this way. Now, if you were to finally marry that handsome bodyguard of yours, I'm sure she'd find a way to get here-"

" _Grandfather_!"

"It was only a suggestion, dear."

Amelia couldn't help a smile as she gathered some of the dirty dishes on a tray. "I'm glad that you're in high spirits. You've been so upset about things lately. Even Zelgadis was worried, and he never worries about anybody."

"Where is he, anyway? He's usually never more than two meters from you at all times."

"Didn't Dad tell you? He leaves on vacation today. Dad granted him two weeks off."

"He can't."

Amelia paused. "What do you mean, he can't? He already did. He left this morning."

"What about you?"

"I'll be okay. You don't have to worry about a thing." Amelia tapped her chest. "I'm using this time to resume work at the temple with the other priestesses. It'll be fun- and two weeks will be up before we know it. Then it'll be my birthday, and Miss Lina and Mister Gourry will be here, and we can-"

"Who allowed your bodyguard to take a vacation? Was it your father?"

"W-well, Dad was the one who approved the vacation time, but-"

"Send him here. I wish to speak to him immediately."

"But he can't come right now. He's in a meeting about public policy, and-"

"I don't care!" Eldoran was going to say more, but his overenthusiastic speech was tiring him, and he fell into a coughing fit. Amelia dropped the tray she was holding onto the table and ran to be next to him, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could touch him. "I am the king. Philionel is working on my behalf. I can call him in for a meeting whenever I like."

"Yes sir." Amelia reluctantly bowed and picked up the tray to take it with her. She closed the door as she left, and the old man was left in the privacy of his room. With a fair amount of effort, he leaned over and plucked the folded piece of paper from the windowsill, unfolding it to read over again as he waited for his son to report.

 _My dear Grandfather,_ _  
_ _Both Dad and Amelia told me you've had a recurring fever lately. Please don't overexert yourself! My letters to you aren't to scare you, but to keep you informed on the progress of my investigation. You said yourself that I'm a powerful sorceress who can take care of herself, right? Right! Anyway. So far I haven't found any evidence as to the fate of Miss Abbey, but I haven't lost hope. The Mazoku pursuing me seems to be losing his inhibitions against giving me information and I'm sure that eventually he'll let slip her status and location. If she is dead like you say- and that's a big IF, considering her reputation in Seyruun- it will complicate things. The Mazoku doesn't seem to want me dead so much as he wants me as a puppet. I'm troubled by the fact that I haven't seen him in a week, since he hasn't ever given me this much reprieve. He may be planning something, and, as such, I'll need to be on my toes. I can't say whether any of my family members are in danger, but Dad and Amelia are both good fighters, so I won't waste time worrying. Make sure that Dad doesn't stray too far from the palace grounds, and if Amelia wants to do so, that she has Sir Greywords with her for backup. As I said before, don't worry yourself sick over my situation. I'm determined to get answers, if I have to fight every one of these Mazoku myself._ _  
_ _Best wishes from your loving granddaughter,_ _  
Naga the Serpent_

* * *

"Five."

"I already told you, I can't do less than ten."

"And I told you I can't do more than five."

"Look," The shopkeeper leaned in with a stern expression. "at least let me break even. Eight."

"Break even? For these?" The sorceress retorted. "If I give you _four_ , you'll still make a profit. I'll be generous and say five and a half."

"Seven, but that's as low as I'll go."

"Six."

"Ma'am, do you understand how a business works?"

"I do. That's why I can offer you six with a clear conscience. I'm a businesswoman, not a robber."

The shopkeeper paused, staring the girl down.

"...six and a hal-"

"Done."

Lina slapped the money onto the table before the shopkeeper could change his mind and snatched up the book, taking off through the marketplace. There were so many people milling about, it was hard to see the stalls, so she was following her nose more than anything else. Gourry had said to meet at the baker's stall on the corner where he'd found some great chocolate pastries the day before (and didn't bother to buy anything for Lina- the jerk!), but Lina wasn't quite sure where it was, as she hadn't gone by that side of the market. Still, her sensitive nose could pick out good chocolate anywhere, and she soon found herself surrounded by scents that made her mouth water. For all the grief she gave Gourry over other things, he did have great taste.

"I'd like a chocolate croissant, please."

"Sure thing!" The old woman behind the counter answered with a smile as she retrieved the sorceress' order. "You're looking around a lot. Are looking for someone?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting a friend here, but I'm a little early." Lina answered, depositing her coins onto the counter. "He was here yesterday and said that these croissants are to die for. The two of us have been all over the world in search of good food, and the best always seems to be hiding in little villages like this."

"You're too sweet!" The woman placed a hand over one cheek to hide a blush. "Who's your friend? I can help you find him, if you'd like."

Lina waved her free hand dismissively. "Don't worry. He's pretty hard to miss."

"You mean the blond fellow from yesterday? Oh, he was such a sweetheart. He's your friend?"

Lina could only nod in response, too involved in eating too speak right away. "Friend, bodyguard, traveling buddy, fellow lover of delicious food- you name it."

"I see. So what brings you two connoisseurs to our little village?"

"We're just passing through on the way to visit a friend in Seyruun City. It's been a few months since we've seen each other, and her birthday is coming up, so we thought we'd drop by..." Lina answered between bites of the pastry. " _Gods,_ this is good. I need your recipe... if it's not a secret, that is."

"No secrets at all!" the woman laughed. "I'd be happy to give it to you. It's a compliment to be asked. Perhaps you can make it for your friend as a birthday gift."

"Homemade treats from friends?" Lina laughed, trying to imagine Amelia's reaction. "She's so sentimental, that might actually be a better idea than what I was planning to get her-"

"STOP, THIEF!"

A swift, yellow blur passed by the people in the market faster than any of them could react to the yell. Any of them, that was, except for an experienced sorceress whose sharp reflexes had saved her in many a battle before. She immediately lunged after the child, catching them by their shoulder. There was only a split second for Lina to get a look, but a split second was enough for her to be completely horrified. It _was_ a little girl, but her features were nearly unrecognizable underneath a knotted mat of dirty blond hair. She had a few pieces of bread tucked under one arm and a couple of oranges in the other. With no free hand to escape from her captor, she did what any trapped animal might have.

Lina was usually good at anticipating her opponents' moves, but she honestly didn't expect to be _bitten_.

The sorceress withdrew her hand with a sharp gasp, more in surprise than in pain. This gave the little girl time to run, and she did so, taking advantage of the confusion to become lost in the crowd. Lina moved to pursue her, but the pain in her hand prevented her. She looked down at her glove to see if there was any bleeding, but the fabric was made specifically to withstand the casting of powerful spells. It wouldn't allow a tiny child's teeth to do any damage.

With a sigh of resignation now that the child had disappeared, Lina set her pastry down on the counter so that she could remove her glove and check the damage to her hand. As she did so, a man ran up to the counter beside her to speak to the baker.

"That's the third time this week, Mrs. Abbey! Doesn't your nephew feed that poor child? What kind of man lets a child like that run amok in the village?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The old woman bowed her head several times. "I've told you before, I'll pay for anything that she takes-"

"It's not about the money, Samantha. I'm concerned about the safety of that child and the safety of the village-"

"Lina! Hey! I saw what happened! Are you okay?"

Lina was so engrossed in the conversation between the grocer and the baker that she almost didn't hear Gourry. She turned to face him, momentarily letting her curiosity about the situation subside. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nice timing, by the way."

"Sorry." Gourry shifted his weight sheepishly. "I got distracted earlier and was running late. If I'd been even a minute earlier, maybe I could've done something to help. Seriously- is your hand okay?"

Lina held it up for him to examine. Her glove had prevented the bite from breaking the skin, but it had certainly left a mark, and Gourry made a face that indicated he was unhappy with it. Lina tugged her hand away with an uncomfortable frown, passing a quick healing spell over it.

"Who was that?" Lina asked, stepping in between the grocer and the baker. "Your nephew's daughter, I presume?"

"Well, sort of." the baker answered. "She's his sister's daughter, but... his sister passed away when the child was young, and he's the closest relative we know of."

"If he's supposed to be taking care of her, it doesn't look like he's doing a very good job."

"He..." The woman wrung her hands and looked down at her feet. "...he's never been very responsible, but..."

"If he'd spend his money on food for the child instead of always buying alcohol, maybe she wouldn't have to resort to theivery!" The grocer started back toward his store with a huff. "I don't care so much for a loaf of bread or an orange here or there. But when this becomes a pattern that's allowed, think of what it will do to that girl."

There was silence- as much as there could be in the busy marketplace- following the grocer's absence. Samantha looked up and noticed Gourry for the first time, bowing in apology. "I-I'm so sorry, you two! I hope you're okay!"

" _I'm_ fine, but what about that girl?" Lina asked in reply. "How long has she been living with that monster?"

"He's not a monster. He's just a little misguided, and he's all she has left in the world. Without her uncle, she wouldn't have anywhere to go."

"All she has left?" Gourry asked. "No parents? No grandparents? Other aunts, uncles, cousins...?"

"No one knows who her father is. Her mother- Eliza- was a traveler, and she never gave any hints as to where the child's father was _from_ , much less who he was. Klaus and Eliza were my brother-in-law's only children, and he and his wife passed away before Lizzie was born. Can we... talk about this after the market closes up? I'd be happy to invite you for dinner as an apology for what happened-"

"That'd be great, but in the meantime, where does Klaus live?" Lina interrupted. She wouldn't pass up the idea of a free dinner, but there were more important things weighing on her mind.

"He lives toward the edge of town, to the west. It's a green building and the area around it is pretty overgrown. But you're not thinking of-"

"I want to see what kind of household would produce a child like that." Lina shoved her half-eaten pastry into Gourry's hands and took off in the direction that the woman had explained. "Don't worry about me- I'll be back to take you up on that dinner offer."

"B-but Miss-" the baker yelled, reaching out in Lina's direction. She was cut off by Gourry, however.

"There's no stopping Lina when she gets her mind set on something. Is there a problem?"

"Klaus can be violent at times... he's always drunk nowadays, it seems, and he wouldn't hesitate to defend his property, even against a young girl like her."

"I'll take care of things." Gourry started after Lina with a wave. "We'll be back here before the market closes."

"Please be careful! You don't know what you're getting into!"

* * *

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Lina had found the door to the house ajar and knocked a few times before entering. The woman had been right about the weeds around the house, and the interior was not much neater. There wasn't much furniture, but clothes were strewn about the floor, and the table in the middle of the room had liquor bottles stacked on top of it... some empty and some not. Curiously, Lina walked over to the table in order to examine one of the half-empty bottles. It didn't have a label, and a quick whif of the dark liquid caused her to recoil, coughing violently. Whatever this man was drinking, it wasn't like any alcohol she'd ever encountered.

"Hey, you! Put that down, would you? Don't you have respect for people's property?"

The young man's voice caught Lina's attention, and she was happy to part ways with the bottle and it's unidentifiable substance. "You're Klaus, I take it?" Upon inspection, it was clear that he was just as dirty and unkempt as the girl she'd seen earlier... and that orange he was eating looked awfully familiar.

"Who wants to know?"

"Where is Lizzie?"

"The kid brought back food and then took off. No clue where she hides. Find her yourself." Klaus approached her, grabbing one of the empty bottles and waving it in her face. "Now get outta my house before I call the authorities on you for trespassing."

"What are you drinking?" Lina snatched the bottle from him and examined it one last time for any sign of identification. "This isn't alcohol."

"This is the best drink I've ever had- a kiddie like you wouldn't know alcohol if it bit you on the backside. Get lost."

Seeing she was getting nowhere, Lina turned her back on him and exited through the still-open door. For some reason, she'd imagined a violent, angry caretaker over an apathetic, cruel one. It didn't seem like he cared about anyone else... or himself, really. What was he drinking? Was that even safe?

"Lizzie!" The house backed up to the forest, and Lina walked around behind it, calling out in search of the girl. Her yell prompted a sudden flash of movement behind one of the trees and she followed that, immediately recognizing the profile of a child. Once she reached the tree, she found that Lizzie had stayed where she was and hunkered down rather than running. Even being circled by Lina a few times didn't prompt movement- it almost seemed as though the girl were playing dead. Still, Lina could see the girl shaking with ragged, nervous breaths, and a trail of blood sliding down her face. The blood definitely hadn't been there before, and Lina remembered the image of Klaus' threats with the empty bottle. He would have been so much more imposing to a small child...

Suddenly realizing that she was standing over Lizzie and might be just as threatening, Lina knelt down to get closer and appear a little more benevolent. The bleeding didn't look serious and Lina was sure that a quick healing spell could fix it right up. She reached out her hand to cast the spell-

"AH!"

It had been pretty foolish of Lina not to remember the earlier situation. She'd reached out her right hand- her ungloved hand- and ended up with the girl's teeth sunk into it. Even with her surprised yelp, Lizzie didn't let go, so Lina refused to pull back yet. She couldn't leave a child bloody like this, no matter what she had to go through.

" _Recovery_."

With her left hand, Lina cast the spell and watched the blood disappear from Lizzie's forehead. Immediately, Lizzie's jaw relaxed a little and she pulled away from Lina's hand. She reached up to touch her forehead with wide eyes as though trying to understand what had happened. Lina began working a healing spell on her own bloody hand, and the girl watched in amazement. Perhaps it was Lina's imagination, but she could swear that she saw something click in the child's mind, watching the healing spell in action. Once the skin on Lina's hand was all patched up and the light from the spell dissipated, Lizzie turned her gaze up to meet Lina's eyes.

For fear of startling the girl, Lina didn't speak. She tried to let her eyes say everything, doing her best to soften her gaze and give a reassuring smile-

"HEY, LINA? WHERE'D YOU GO?"

Gourry's voice broke the effect. Lizzie jumped to her feet in fear and took off through the trees, away from where she and Lina had been sitting. "Lizzie, wait!" Lina called out after her, but it was no use. She was gone.

* * *

(For those interested in leaving a review- I'd never discourage you from doing so. However, I want to express a request of my own that I'd like you to keep in mind- I am not a professional. Writing is not my field of study, nor my career goal, but it does help me in a lot of personal ways. I can't please everyone with my work. If I could, I'd have achieved something no writer in the world ever has- a real feat for an amateur, huh? I don't want to feel like I'm wasting anyone's time, so if you don't feel that the story is worth your time, don't bother with it, especially not on my account. I'm simply sharing something that makes me happy because I know there's a possibility it might make someone else happy too. Thank you so much for taking interest in the story, and I hope that those who have enjoyed it so far will continue to do so. Updates will be weekly on Fridays.)


	2. If You Can Fool Your Friends

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

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 **2- If You Can Fool Your Friends…**

"There you are! What happened? Did you find Lizzie?" Gourry made it to where Lina was sitting, pausing to catch his breath. She scowled up at him in response.

"I _did_ , before some loud idiot scared her off. Thanks for that, Gourry. I think I almost got through to her."

"I... scared her away?" Gourry murmured, offering his hand to help Lina to her feet. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to... I just-"

"No, it wasn't your fault. I was just frustrated." Lina shook her head as she stood up. "We're not getting anywhere with anyone from this household. Let's get out of here for now so that we can get some more information. I don't like the look of this situation- that Klaus guy is _not_ fit to be a parent in the state he's in now."

"Was he violent? The lady at the bakery said that he might be."

"He wasn't- in fact, he was almost mellow. He was drunk, or... something like that." Lina crossed her arms as she walked, keeping her eyes fixed on her feet. "Whatever he was drinking, it wasn't alcohol. The effect seems the same, but I'm not so sure. He hit Lizzie- or, he must've, the way she was beat up- and he took the food that she stole earlier today. Something strange is going on, and I want to know what it is. First things first, that girl doesn't belong here- we have to do something about her before we go digging into this mess."

"I agree that we should do something, but figuring out what to do will be tricky." Gourry responded with a nod. "The baker sounded convinced that Lizzie belongs with her uncle. These kind of people value blood relationships more than safety and well-being. I should know- I lived with people like that for a long time as a kid."

"So what? The lady said that they have no idea who her father is." Lina shot back. "She could be anyone's daughter. With that blonde hair, she could be _your_ daughter."

"That's impossible."

"You know that and I know that, but they don't. There's no reason for them to be so uptight about blood relationships when there's so much uncertainty."

Gourry gave a sigh of frustration. "I see what you're saying, Lina, but what are we supposed to do? I want to find that girl a better family as much as you do, but it's not like _we_ can be the kid's parents.

"I know we can't raise her, but we can at least give her a place to stay so that she can be fed and cleaned up and taken care of for a little while-"

"And then what? Dump her back in the same place?"

"Don't even suggest that!" Lina hissed, stepping in front of him to cut him off. "We're on our way to Seyruun City right now- we don't even have to change our destination. We'll take care of Lizzie until we get to the city, and then I'm sure Amelia would help us find somewhere for her to go. It's a huge city. There must be a loving family there who'd be thrilled to adopt a sweet little girl."

"A sweet little girl who steals and bites people?"

"She does it because she's hungry and scared! What do you expect her to do? If we could just improve her situation-"

"Lina." Gourry grabbed her by the shoulders. "You can take that girl out of the situation she's in, but things are not immediately going to change. You can't undo the years of suffering she's had, no matter how much you want to. It's going to take a lot of patience, understanding, and time. I'm not asking you to give up the idea, I'm just asking you to realize what kind of commitment you're making. Take some time. Think it over."

He let his hands fall off her shoulders and walked around her to continue on the path back to the market. She didn't move to follow him at first, so he stopped to look back at her.

"C'mon, Lina. The market's going to close soon. I ate the rest of that pastry you gave me earlier, so I guess I owe you another one for that-"

"I'm going to do it."

She hadn't spoken very loudly, and Gourry had to clarify what he'd heard. "What?"

Lina looked up at him, her eyes fixed sternly on his. "I'm going to do it. I'm going to help that girl, and I'm going to find out exactly what's going on here."

The look of determination on her face gave Gourry reason to smile.

"Let's do it, then."

* * *

"You have to understand, Klaus hasn't always been like this. Sure, he's had bad periods off and on during his life, but when Lizzie first went to live with him, he had been sober for more than a year."

Samantha, the baker, had generously offed dinner to Lina and Gourry, and the two were happy to take the chance to get more information on Lizzie's situation. They'd made up their minds to rescue the girl first, but the more information they had, the better. Samantha had allowed the two to sit in her kitchen as she worked, and they used the opportunity to go ahead and ask questions.

"He really is a kind, quiet boy when he's sober. I couldn't have ever imagined him doing anything bad to the girl."

"But, then, what made him start drinking again?" Lina didn't want to outright state that she was suspicious of the bottled substance she'd found in Klaus' house, so she was fishing for information in other ways.

"No one knows. All we know is that, a few years ago, he just fell back into his bad habits. He quit working and we stopped seeing him in town."

"Stopped seeing him? As in... not even to buy alcohol?"

"Funnily enough, yes. I assume he must be going to the next town over to buy it, where they don't know him and aren't aware that he's supposed to be providing for a child."

Lina decided not to say anything about her suspicions on what the man was really drinking. She couldn't say for sure that it wasn't alcohol, but that acrid smell was something she hadn't experienced since her days at the Zephilia Sorcerers' Guild taking potion-making classes.

"What does he do? Like, how is he making the money to support his addiction?" Lina continued to press for answers. If the stuff that she'd found in Klaus' home really were bottles of magical potions, they couldn't be cheap.

"We don't know. I assume that he's been drawing from savings that he had amassed before he stopped working. I've been hoping it would run out and he'd be forced to stop his bad habits so that he can work again, but he must have been better with his finances than I imagined."

"Or he has an enabler who's providing it for him." Gourry added on. "That's always a potential."

"Does Klaus have any friends?" Lina was glad to hear Gourry chime into the conversation so that it sounded less like an interrogation. "Someone who would buy him what he wants for free- or in exchange for something we don't know about?"

"If there is, I don't know about them. It could be someone in another town." Samantha took a moment to put the meat she'd been preparing into the oven. "Klaus had a lot of friends before, but when he started drinking again, he cut everyone off. He won't talk to anyone anymore- not even me. He thinks that everyone is trying to hold an intervention and he won't stand for that. I'm so worried that he's going to end up hurting himself or worse... without him, Lizzie will have nowhere to go."

Lina had to push herself to keep from making any comments about the fact that Lizzie would probably be better off _without_ her uncle. Instead, she had to focus on how she was going to convince these people to entrust herself and Gourry with the girl's care. There had to be some way that they could bypass the focus on family ties. Maybe they could pretend to have some authority from the Seyruun government. Surely if they were lying for the safety of a child's life, it could be considered a sacrifice for Justice and Amelia would back them up if they needed-

"I'm sorry to ask, 'cause this might be a moot point, but I'm curious- what was Lizzie's mother like?" Gourry's question cut off Lina's train of thought and she immediately turned to listen. His expression was uneasy, and that concerned her.

"What do you mean, what was she like?" Samantha also noted the worry in his expression. "You mean in terms of appearance or personality?"

"Well, I mean..." Gourry shifted his weight as he spoke, avoiding eye contact. "You said her name was Eliza, right? That's a pretty common name, and I'm sure there are lots of people who have it. I knew an Eliza a few years back, but I'm sure it wasn't the same person."

Lina had to admit, she was surprised by Gourry's tone of voice. She'd never heard him talk about anyone named Eliza before, but he never really talked about _anyone_ he'd known before they'd started traveling together, so it wouldn't surprise her if he'd crossed paths with someone by that name. Still, with the way he was acting, she had to have been more significant than just a passing acquaintance.

"Well, let's see..." Samantha leaned on the counter, staring out the window pensively. "as far as physical appearance goes, she was a very tall girl with blonde hair that was almost white and the most beautiful brown eyes I'd ever seen. She was such a beauty, but she was very quiet. She kept to herself a lot and always had her nose buried in a book. Eliza became a traveler because she wanted to learn everything she could, and there just weren't enough books in this little town."

As Samantha talked, Lina noticed that Gourry's breathing was becoming more unsteady. He was staring at his feet, so she couldn't get a good look at his expression until he lifted his head to speak.

"E-Eliza..." he stammered, "Eliza is... _dead_?"

The kitchen fell silent momentarily. Lina was the first who managed to speak.

"You mean... the Eliza you knew is-"

"How did she die?!" Gourry cut off Lina as though he hadn't even heard her. "What happened to her?! She was so strong... I didn't think she could have..."

"She was very sick," Samantha responded. "She was suffering so much, she ended up... taking matters into her own hands. The doctor here said that it was postpartum depression, but I've seen that happen to people before, and Eliza's experience was nothing like that."

The response worried Lina. The combination of a brother being fed some sort of magical potion without his knowledge and sister who died under mysterious circumstances made the situation even more troubling, but she couldn't do much thinking about it at the moment while she was worrying about Gourry's well-being.

"D-did she leave a note?"

"Only a short one, asking us to protect Lizzie. There was nothing in it about herself or her situation."

"I... had no idea... I never would have thought... I mean, it's been years, but I've always kind of expected that I'd run into her somewhere again... I spent so long trying to find her after she left me without saying anything, but..." Gourry stopped speaking and suddenly straightened up, as though met with a sudden realization. "Hey! When was Lizzie born? I don't know anything about who Eliza was with after she left me, but maybe I can track down some of our old buddies and find out who Lizzie's father is! If we can find him, she won't have to rely on her uncle... maybe she can have a real family."

"You'd do that?" Samantha gasped. "I don't want to force you to deal with any painful memories-"

"No way." Gourry shook his head. "Anything I can do for Eliza, even if she's gone, I want to try. How old is Lizzie?"

"She... she'll be six years old in January."

"Six years in January... that would make her... and then..." Gourry took the time to count, stopped, and then counted again. When he started over a third time, Lina started to get concerned.

"Gourry, is everything okay?"

He didn't respond to Lina's question, looking instead to Samantha. "Are you _sure_ she's that old?"

"Yes, I'm positive. I was with Eliza when she was born."

"I... I was sure she was younger. That would be... I mean.. she..." Gourry ran his hands through his hair in frustration. " _Gods_ , is that why Eliza left me? 'Cause she thought I wasn't responsible enough or...?"

Lina's stomach churned. "Gourry, what are you saying?"

"You're not saying that Lizzie is _your_ daughter...?" Samantha stammered in reply.

"I mean, I can't say for sure; I can't be positive that Eliza wasn't seeing other people at the same time, I mean... but she never seemed like that kind of person. She would've told me. But, then again, I thought she would've told me about... about something like this. I thought she trusted me. Maybe I was wrong."

Lina was silent, letting Samantha take charge of the conversation. Gourry sounded so genuinely hurt, it was making Lina numb. She'd been trying to focus on the situation surrounding Klaus' potions and Eliza's death, but this was altogether something she hadn't considered.

"Don't blame yourself, Mister Gabriev. Eliza was such a private person; she never wanted to talk about things. I'm not surprised that she wouldn't have told you. Perhaps she was scared of herself rather than of you."

"I know, but I... I've gotta make this up to Lizzie! I know I can never get these six years back, but I can change things now. I can-" He turned and glanced momentarily at Lina. " _we_ can give her a home and a family. Would you trust us to do that? For Lizzie's safety and Eliza's dying wish."

Lina had the vague sense that Gourry had volunteered her for something, but she wasn't fully processing the situation.

"There's no need for you to beg. I'd never dream of coming between a father and his child." Samantha assured him. "Don't worry. It's too late to do anything tonight- Klaus usually isn't there at night- but tomorrow morning as early as you'd like, we can go there and explain the situation. I'm sure he and Lizzie will be thrilled to know that we've finally found you!"

Lina wanted to say something about Samantha over-simplifying things, but some part of her felt as though she shouldn't say anything. What could she say for Gourry's sake? What _was_ there to say?

Samantha served a delicious dinner, but Lina didn't eat much of it. She really wanted to hear about Gourry's connection to Eliza and what he knew about her so that she could factor that into her worries about Eliza's mysterious death and Klaus' sobriety. Unfortunately, Gourry, instead, chose to ask Samantha about Eliza's childhood. The woman went on and on, testing Lina's patience. She wasn't all too thrilled to hear a detailed description of Gourry's old flame, and while there was good information about Eliza's character, it wasn't the detailed analysis Gourry might've given with his fantastic instincts.

Of course, if he'd been in love with Eliza, he might have a bias anyway.

That last part bothered her, and Lina was trying to make sense of why. It wasn't jealousy. First of all, she had no reason to be jealous of a woman who'd been dead for five years. And second, Gourry had obviously moved on, since he'd never talked about her. But perhaps his silence on the issue was what really bothered Lina. If he hadn't told her about someone he'd obviously cared a lot for, what else might he be neglecting to mention to her? Did he just not trust her?

* * *

"What are you thinking about?"

It was the first time that Gourry had spoken to Lina since they'd left Samantha's house. They'd walked back to the inn and gotten ready for bed in silence, each staying to their own side of the room. Lina had settled into her bed, taking time to brush her hair, and Gourry had watched her silently from his own until his curiosity got the better of him.

Lina looked up at him, dropping the brush to her side. "What do you mean?"

"Well, usually when you spend that long brushing your hair, it means you're thinking about something. Plus you didn't eat much at dinner tonight, and you've been really quiet."

"Yeah." Lina shrugged. "A lot happened tonight. Can you blame me for thinking it over?"

"No, but I feel like you're worrying." Gourry responded. "You were so insistent on following through with this. What are you so worried about?"

"I _am_ worrying, but... there's also some things I don't know yet, and I'm curious." Lina cleared her throat, realizing that what she was about to ask Gourry was going to be a very personal question. He might not want to answer it, or his answer might make her feel worse instead of better. She didn't want him to think her nosy- after all, she'd always respected his disinterest in discussing his past life. Would digging too deep damage their trust? "I want to know... what was your relationship with Eliza like?"

"Eliza who?"

All that worrying, and _that_ was his response?! Lina wanted to jump over to the other bed and strangle him.

" _Eliza_ \- as in, Lizzie's mother! The woman we spent the whole night talking about! The one who clearly meant a lot to you at one point!"

"Oh." Gourry blinked in realization. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well... it _was_ your idea in the first place for me to pretend to be Lizzie's father..."

Lina stared at him for a second.

"...huh?"

"I pretend to be Lizzie's father so that we can rescue her and find her a family in Seyruun." Gourry explained. "That _was_ the plan, wasn't it? Or was I mistaken?"

"...you..." Lina's mouth hung open a moment before she finally managed to respond, and by that point it was a yell. "...you were LYING?!"

"You thought I was telling the _truth_?" Gourry retorted in disbelief. "I told you, it was impossible for me to be Lizzie's father. I've never even _met_ anyone named Eliza."

Lina stared for another moment before crumpling up against her pillow, her head buried in her hands. "That's right. You're right. It _was_ my idea. My own idea, and I didn't even remember it."

"You weren't jealous on my account, were you?" Gourry gasped. "Don't be silly, Lina. You know you're the only girl for me."

She glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just what I said. What else would it mean?"

"Normally something that cheesy could only be said with sarcasm, but you're so genuine, I guess I'll allow it." Lina shook her head. "I wasn't jealous, I was just upset that you'd never talked about this girl. I didn't want to pry, but it made me feel like you didn't trust me. That hurt."

"Gee, sorry about that." Gourry scratched his cheek, his expression not nearly as contrite as he was trying to sound. "If you can fool your friends, you can fool your enemies, right?"

"Yeah, but could you consider _my_ feelings a little bit next time?!" Lina barked in reply.

There was another pause as the two let the familiarity of the exchange sink in. Lina cracked a smile, and soon they were both laughing. It was a well-needed dissolution of the tension and it left them both feeling relaxed and relieved.

"I understand why you felt I'd agreed to the plan, so I won't get angry." Lina finally composed herself enough to answer. "But next time, let's try to exchange a little further confirmation than just an offhand mention in conversation. Okay?"

"Yes, Lina." Gourry nodded and then turned his head to look away. "It makes me kind of happy, though. Not that you got upset, but that you trust me enough- you know I trust you enough- that you'd be upset over the idea of me keeping secrets like that."

"I don't need to know about every one of your old flames," Lina assured him, remembering the feeling of distaste that discussing Eliza had given her before. "but if someone was really that important to you, I'd at least like to know they existed."

"And I'd have told you that." Gourry answered. "I don't know what you think my previous life was like, but you have to understand, it wasn't like traveling with you where there's a new adventure every day. A lot of it was just me trying to get by. There weren't exciting things and there were barely even fun things. If I felt that there was something of value to tell you, I would."

"That's good to know." Lina gave a sheepish smile. "It makes me feel better- so thanks."

Gourry responded with a smile of his own. "Does that ease your worries a little bit?"

"Actually, no. That wasn't what I was worried about."


	3. A New Light

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **3- A New Light**

"Actually, no. That wasn't what I was worried about."

His smile faded and Gourry hopped off the bed so that he could walk over and sit down beside Lina. "What's going on? You're not having second thoughts about rescuing-"

"No, no. It's nothing like that." Lina waved one hand. "I know we'll be able to help Lizzie. I _don't_ know if we'll be able to help Klaus, so I'm honestly more worried about him."

"You seemed to indicate in our conversation with Samantha that you don't think what he's drinking is really alcohol." Gourry acknowledged with a nod of his head. "If that's the case, what do you think it is?"

"It's hard to say." Lina replied. "When I took a whiff of it, it brought me back to the beginning potions-making class that I took when I was ten years old. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I don't have much knowledge of making potions. They won't teach ten-year-olds much beyond the basics. I can't identify the ingredients just based on smell, so I couldn't tell you what the potion is designed to do. But one of the big principles that the Sorcerers' Guild drilled into us was 'consent of the consumer.' It's illegal- not to mention unethical- to administer a potion to someone without first explaining the effects and duration of the potion and receiving an informed affirmation from the person who is to ingest the potion. Klaus' ignorance as to what he was drinking concerns me."

"I see."

"Beyond that, I worry about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Eliza's death and her suicide note. A woman afflicted with an unknown 'disease' commits suicide and begs her family to protect her daughter? It would be one thing for a mother to ask her family to _take care_ of her child. That's normal. But for her to have said _protect_ , it implies that there's something actively seeking to harm Lizzie. I don't know what it is, but it's very possible that, when we rescue Lizzie, whatever is manipulating Klaus will turn and come after us... assuming that it's the danger to Lizzie that Eliza was talking about, and not something else altogether."

Gourry gave a silent nod before speaking. "And you're still okay with rescuing her?"

"Absolutely."

There was silence again as both of them began to realize the repercussions of what they'd decided to do. Gourry had already given Samantha his story, so there was no turning back. Lina was determined without any doubt to rescue the child, and he knew that there was no changing her mind when she got like this. They didn't know what kind of danger they'd be facing because of it, but with their history, neither was truly afraid.

"I just sort of realized," Gourry began again once the silence had settled in, "are we going to expect Lizzie to call me 'Papa?' I know our end goal is to find her a family in Seyruun, but if we don't-"

"You can be 'Papa," Lina interrupted. "if only to make Lizzie more comfortable. I don't know what she knows about the idea of family, considering she was young when Eliza died, but we'll try. She maybe didn't even get to know her mother..." She stopped and clapped her hands. "I'll be 'Mama,' then!"

"You will?"

"Absolutely! ...what's with that look? You don't think I can handle it?"

"N-no, that's not it." Gourry waved his hands. "I guess I'm just surprised. I know you care about children and would do anything to rescue one, but I've never seen this... motherly side of you." He leaned closer and tousled her hair. "I like it."

"You like it better than my typically violent side, huh?"

"I like it just as well as every other side of you. You are you, and I wouldn't change anything about you. Our relationship is too good for that."

"R-relationship?!" Lina stiffened and pulled away from his hand. "What relationship? We don't have a relationship!"

"Friendship is a relationship, isn't it?"

"...ah." Embarrassed by her outburst, she inched closer in apology. "Sorry about that. You're a good friend, Gourry. I'm lucky to have you."

"To have a friend, you have to _be_ a friend." He took advantage of her closeness to place a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "And that's not sarcasm either."

"Don't press your luck, Gourry," Lina warned. "We're about to get ourselves wrapped up in another big mess. This is no time to be distracted."

"I know, I know. But do you remember what I said earlier? Life with you is a new adventure every day. I don't want to miss any of it."

* * *

Their anxiety the next morning was assuaged somewhat by Samantha's excitement. She didn't seem to have any second thoughts about sending Lizzie to live with a couple that she'd just met the day before- which gave Lina a slight degree of suspicion. If she and Gourry were walking into a trap- whether it was being laid by Samantha, Klaus, or someone else entirely- she wanted to be prepared. It was Lizzie's safety she was concerned about. She didn't want a small, frightened child to be caught in the crossfire of such a conflict.

"Klaus! Hello? Are you there? It's Aunt Sam- open the door!" Samantha's eager knocking was hard to ignore, and it only took a few minutes before the door creaked open and the young man peeked his head outside. He didn't look happy to see his aunt in the first place, but his expression darkened even further when he noticed Lina and recognized her as the trespasser from the night before.

"What do you want?"

If Samantha caught on to his surly attitude at all, she wasn't letting it dampen her enthusiasm. "You'll never believe it!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. "We found Lizzie's father!"

Klaus considered the statement for a moment before slamming the door in their faces.

"Did he just...?"

Lina had to verbally confirm the situation. Samantha didn't answer, immediately pounding on the door. Lina and Gourry exchanged a glance toward one another.

"Klaus? Klaus, are you there? Open the door- we need to talk!"

After what seemed to be an unbearably long time- mostly because of Samantha's nonstop yelling, Klaus finally returned to the door.

" _What?_ "

"I told you, we found Lizzie's fathe-"

"No, you haven't."

Klaus moved to close the door, but Gourry reached grabbed it before that could happen. "Where is my daughter?" he demanded with such seriousness that Lina had to remind herself for the umpteenth time that he was just pretending.

"Lizzie's father is dead. Get lost."

"I'm very much alive." Gourry didn't budge. "I asked you a question. _Where is my daughter_?"

"I don't know." Klaus finally opened the door and motioned Gourry in. "I haven't seen her this morning. She's probably still asleep. You can find her- but once you've met her, I'm sure you won't want her. She's an animal, that kid, complete with sharp teeth. If you wanna take care of something small and pathetic, get a dog- you can train those not to bite. This kid's a hopeless cause."

Lina wanted to make a snarky comment in response, but Gourry grabbed her hand and dragged her inside before she could retaliate. They could hear Samantha arguing with Klaus, trying to get him to "see reason." Klaus' reaction was completely opposite of what Lina had expected. It was clear from the way he treated Lizzie that he didn't care for her. Why, then, was he so dead-set on keeping her? Something about the way he spoke about Lizzie's father concerned her. How did he know that the man was dead? Had Klaus gotten information from someone or something...?

"Lina, come here," Gourry motioned to her from across the room. She'd been so lost in thought, she had stayed in one spot for too long. Gourry had finally located the little girl, curled up behind an old sofa, where she couldn't be seen.

Lizzie was unconscious, but her sleep appeared restless and she was clutching a small stuffed toy that looked as though it had once been a rabbit, but was now too worn to identify. Lina immediately sank to her knees beside the girl and waved toward Gourry to step back a short distance.

"Give her some space. I don't want to intimidate her."

Gourry nodded, but kept a close watch. Lina called the girl's name a few times in as gentle a voice as possible, and finally she began to move. Lizzie lifted her head from the floor, and as she did, she revealed a rather large bruise along her jaw. Lina cringed, and decided that would be the first thing she'd need to attend to.

"Hey... good morning. Don't worry- I'm here to help you." Lina kept her voice soft, but as she reached out toward the girl's face, she had to pull her arm back abruptly to avoid getting bitten. Twice was enough- Lina wasn't going to go through that again. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Just stay still."

There was fear in the child's eyes, but also a sense of recognition, and that perhaps was what allowed her to stay still long enough for Lina to work a _recovery_ spell.

Once the light from the spell died down, Lizzie put a tentative hand to her cheek and moved her mouth to confirm what Lina had done. She then turned to the woman, wide-eyed and clutching the toy even closer.

"I know things are bad here. That's why I want to help you. Will you let me do that?" Lina extended a hand. "Your mama's not around anymore and I can't bring her back. But will you let me be your mama for a little while?"

Lizzie continued to give Lina a fearful stare. She moved slightly further away, causing Lina to realize that Lizzie was stuck in between the sofa and the wall, and that she was blocking the child's exit. Lina took a few steps back to give Lizzie some room.

As soon as the girl made it out from behind the sofa, she dashed away from Lina, making a beeline for the front door. Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far.

Lina and Gourry were set on edge by a loud shriek. Klaus had caught Lizzie halfway toward the door by grabbing hold of her hair. She was struggling and yelling to get free, but the more she wriggled, the more he jerked on her hair, causing her to cry out in pain. Lina ran to the girl's side in an attempt to defend her, but she didn't want to touch Lizzie for fear of making things worse, and she didn't want to cause any violence for fear of scaring the child. It was Gourry who found a solution to the problem, walking up behind Klaus and placing a firm hand on the man's shoulder.

" _Let her go_ ," Gourry hissed under his breath.

"And why should I? What authority do you have just to come in here and demand to-"

Klaus didn't get to finish his sentence. Gourry's grip on his shoulder tightened, and he released Lizzie's hair in an attempt to escape from the man's grip. Lizzie stumbled forward and scrambled away to where Lina was standing with outstretched arms. She didn't embrace Lina, but hid behind her, placing the sorceress between herself and her uncle.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Klaus addressed Lina with narrowed eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Lizzie's father is my bodyguard and friend. We're partners."

"Which explains why you wandered into my house last night _alone_."

Lina didn't respond to the question. She didn't want to get in an argument in front of Lizzie, much as she would have liked to knock Klaus down a few pegs.

Klaus must have gotten tired of staring at Lina- or perhaps was intimidated by her fierce demeanor- and turned away with a sigh.

"Take her if you want, but I know you'll be bringing her back soon. No one would want to keep something like that."

"That's for us to decide." Lina spoke firmly but calmly so as not to startle the girl hiding behind her. She then turned and knelt down next to Lizzie, lowering her voice and motioning to Gourry, who'd moved closer. "Have you met your Papa? He's been worried about you, all alone in a place like this. We'll make sure you won't be alone again- will you come with us?"

Lizzie was quiet. She stared at Lina and Gourry, moving her gaze back and forth a few times between them, and finally placed a tentative hand into Lina's. Lina smiled and stood up, motioning toward the door.

"Let's go, then. Miss Samantha and your Papa are going to get your things together, and we'll go to the inn across town where we're staying- okay?"

Lizzie gave a nod- the first indication Lina had seen that the girl heard and understood what was said to her. It wasn't an enthusiastic nod, and Lizzie was refusing to make eye contact with Lina, but the fact that she was going along with the situation was progress from her behavior yesterday. Lina had an inkling that it wouldn't last long- when they got back to the inn, the first thing she wanted to do was get the girl some food and a much-needed bath, and she dreaded the fight that the latter might end up being.

"I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow." Klaus glowered in Lina's direction. "That is, if it takes that long for you to bring her back."

* * *

It didn't take Gourry long to catch up with the girls. Lizzie didn't have much in the way of possessions, and even the clothes she had were so threadbare or dirty that Gourry chose not to take most of them. He promised Lina that, while Lizzie was in the bath, he'd go out and buy some new clothes for her rather than trying to wash and salvage what she had. However, they both agreed that the priority was getting food.

Lina and Gourry were not ones who could speak on table manners, but even they were concerned to find that Lizzie could barely use cutlery. They allowed her to eat her fill first, and then Gourry tried to give a few lessons with a fork and knife. It wasn't easy, but by the end of the dessert course, Lizzie was beginning to make progress and the two were satisfied that the girl's table etiquette would improve even more during the evening meal.

Now the only struggle remaining was the bath.

Lina was a little indignant that Gourry was leaving her to handle the bath situation, as she was unsure of how it would go, but she understood his reasoning. Though Klaus had appeared apathetic, his reluctance to give up his guardianship of Lizzie made both Lina and Gourry concerned about what his true intentions toward her might have been.

Heating bathwater with magic was Lina's specialty- it was much faster than traditional methods, and after a long day of adventuring, Lina refused to let anything come between her and a hot bath. But this time she had to be careful. It was one thing for a battle-hardened warrior to step into a tub of scorching water, but for a little girl, the temperature would need to be more closely monitored. Lina tried to remember what her mother had done for her when she was this age, but that wasn't an easy memory to drag up.

"Lizzie? The bath is ready. Can you...?"

When Lina stepped from the ensuite back into the bedroom, she found the girl curled up on the edge of one of the beds, asleep. Lina didn't blame her- she and Gourry were not unfamiliar with the concept of a "food coma" after a particularly large meal, and with the lack of a comfortable bed at Klaus' home, it was no wonder Lizzie had dozed off as soon as she'd found a spot on the plush comforter.

Seeing the child curled up so contentedly, Lina found herself experiencing an unexpected rush of affection. She'd wanted to rescue the girl because it would help her learn more about the situation, but she found herself wanting to care for Lizzie just for _Lizzie's_ sake. More than anything, she wanted to imagine Lizzie living happily with a loving family in Seyruun, the difficulties with her uncle fading into nothing but an unpleasant memory.

But there was a lot of work that would need to be done before that could happen.

"Lizzie, wake up. The bath water's going to get cold." Lina gave the girl a gentle push on the shoulder, and she began to stir in response. Opening her eyes, she drew in a sharp breath and shuffled backwards away from Lina. Unfortunately, she forgot that she was on a bed, and lost her balance on the edge. Lina jumped forward and caught the girl before she could fall, watchful Lizzie's eyes light up in surprise as she processed what had happened.

"Be careful, okay? This is a tall bed."

Lizzie nodded in reply, the second nod that Lina had seen from her. It was comforting to know the girl understood what she was saying, even if articulating a response was still difficult.

The bath was not as difficult an experience as Lina had feared it would be. Lizzie was fascinated with the warm water when she first tested it with her hand, and while she threatened Lina with a bite for touching her clothes, she had no objections to undressing herself, and fell into a pleasant daze once she got in the water. She wouldn't allow Lina to touch her at first, so Lina gave her the bar of soap to work with on her own. The soap became a toy, then, that she played with absentmindedly until Lina showed her how it worked. From that point on, Lizzie was content with Lina's proximity, save for one exception- her hair. Lina had let her guard down, and ended up with a bite on her arm because of it. Remembering the scene of Klaus grabbing hold of Lizzie's hair to keep her in place, Lina couldn't blame the girl for being cautious about that. Still, the girl's long, blonde locks were tangled into a dirty mat, and someone had to do _something_ about it.

Once Lizzie was out of the bath and wrapped happily in a towel, Lina began searching through her belongings for a decent pair of scissors. She always kept a pair with her in preparation for whatever situation would present itself, and she hoped that her experience trimming Gourry's hair would be sufficient to allow her to take care of Lizzie's.

She hated to do it, but Lizzie's fierce refusal to let anyone touch her hair forced Lina to use a _sleeping_ spell in order to get to it. She had bad memories about cutting someone's hair in their sleep, from an incident with her sister when she was young, and didn't want a repeat, but she didn't have much choice.

By the time that Gourry returned to the room, Lina had trimmed the girl's hair into a short bob cut and brushed it thoroughly. She desperately hoped that Lizzie would be happy with it- no one would be able to control her by grabbing her hair anymore.

"She looks completely different." Gourry commented. "What did you do?"

"I gave her a bath to scrub off a lot of that dirt, and then cut her hair. It was easier than trying to deal with what she had- that might have hurt her."

"Is she... okay?" Gourry placed the bags in his hands onto one bed and knelt down beside Lizzie, adjusting the towel that had fallen off one of her shoulders. "Did you...?"

"It's a _sleeping_ spell."

"Was that really necessary?"

Lina narrowed her eyes at him and held up her arm to show off the teeth marks. " This happened while she was in the bath. I didn't realize that she was so defensive about people touching her hair and I paid for it. Would you have wanted me working around her head with scissors? She could've gotten really hurt if she'd moved abruptly. _Sleeping_ is a simple White Magic spell that won't hurt her and can be easily countered if there's an emergency. Besides, I think she needs the sleep. She fell asleep earlier when I was heating the bath."

Gourry nodded silently in concession. He began rummaging through the bags of clothing that he'd brought back, searching for something in particular. "I know that you've not been thrilled with my fashion sense in the past, so I asked the sales clerk for help picking things out. It's amazing how many choices they have available for a five-year-old girl. I don't think I've seen nearly this much variety in menswear." He finally found what he was looking for: a dark red dress (the clerk had called it "cranberry," but Gourry was certain that cranberries were a brighter shade of red). "This one is my favorite. It's simple- no flashy colors, no flowers or ladybirds embroidered on... just a nice, red dress."

" _Counter-sleeping_." Lina quickly undid her previous spell, bringing Lizzie back to consciousness. The girl looked up to see Lina smiling at her, though she timidly drew back and pulled the towel more tightly around her. "Don't worry. Everything's okay." Lina tried to reassure the girl. "And look! Papa brought you back some new clothes. Do you like this dress?"

Lizzie's expression was blank as she stared at the dress, but she gave a nod of approval.

Lina helped the girl get dressed while Gourry packed up the rest of the clothing and placed it with his and Lina's belongings. The red dress was a little loose, but not so much that the girl couldn't wear it. Lina took Lizzie's hand and led her across the room to a full-length mirror so that she could get a view of her new look. It was entirely possible that her surprise was due to the fact that Klaus didn't own a mirror at all and she was surprised to see such a thing in the first place, but Lizzie was clearly moved by the sight. She walked towards the mirror and then away from it, making hand gestures as she tested to see if the image in the glass was really her. She also shook her head back and forth, getting used to the feel of her new hairstyle. Lina couldn't help a smile, watching the girl so enchanted, especially when- for just a split second- it looked as though Lizzie had a smile on her face too.

"Do you like it?" Gourry walked over and crouched down beside the girl, careful not to get too close. Lizzie turned her attention to him and nodded her head in affirmation, and Gourry's face lit up with a smile. "Wonderful! Your mama was really worried about you. She helped a lot, right?" With another nod from Lizzie, Gourry gently took the girl's hand and turned her back towards Lina. "Can you say _thank you, Mama_?"

Lina wasn't totally sure how to respond to Gourry's praise, and was about to get defensive, but Lizzie mumbled something that sounded vaguely like it might be a "thank you, Mama," and the sorceress' heart melted.

"You're very welcome, Lizzie."

Perhaps Lina had been wrong about what the most dangerous part of this endeavor would be.


	4. Roadside Conversation

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **4-Roadside Conversation**

"Hey! You said Lizzie's father was dead! What's the big deal, lying to an innocent man? I've got the right to be informed, just like anyone else-"

Klaus had nearly pounced on the cloaked figure as it entered through the doorway of the house. The figure disappeared from where it was and reappeared a short distance away, unfazed.

"He is dead. Archer was killed long before the girl was even born. Where did you hear otherwise?"

It took Klaus a moment to rebound. "S-some guy showed up here today, claiming he was her father. He and his little girlfriend scooped up the kid and left. I told them that the kid's dad was dead, but they wouldn't-"

"What do you mean, they scooped her up? You let someone take her?!" It was the creature's turn to pounce on Klaus, and the human wasn't able to retreat onto another plane to get away.

"They'll be back soon, I'm sure of it. You know what that kid is like-"

"What did they look like? When were they here? How long ago did they leave?"

Klaus stepped back and grabbed one of the empty bottles off the table. "Hey, I'm almost outta this stuff. Why don't you drop off some more, and in return I'll drop some information on the-"

"Forget it!" The creature knocked the bottle out of Klaus' hand and began to pace back and forth around the room. "Those people were clearly agents of a rival Mazoku lord. I had heard rumors of Mazoku agents raiding other Mazoku's investments- I need to know the identities of these thieves. You _must_ give me a thorough description."

"O-okay, okay! I'll tell you everything!" Klaus waved his hands back and forth. "I can help you find her, don't worry-"

"Not likely. Your job was to raise the child according to the specifications given to you. Allowing her to fall into enemy hands… you've failed at the most basic of tasks. There's no way we're trusting you with any more responsibility."

* * *

Lina woke up the next morning and immediately sat up to check on Lizzie. The girl had fallen asleep next to Lina almost immediately when she got into the bed, despite the sleeping spell from earlier. She had been restless during the night, but appeared to be comfortable, and Lina was reluctant to wake her. Still, Lina and Gourry had agreed that it would be best for the three of them to get out of town as soon as possible, in case Klaus decided to act on his reluctance to allow Lizzie to leave.

After an early breakfast, the group took to the road on route to Seyruun City. It was Gourry's turn to navigate, and he mapped out a route that would take them to the city in two days, stopping overnight in a village that he and Lina were familiar with from previous travels. The familiarity would give them some peace of mind, they hoped. The group walked in silence as sloping hills of farmland stretched out for miles, dotted with animals grazing and crops baking under the midsummer sun.

Lizzie skipped along behind them, clutching the stuffed rabbit that Lina had repaired for her the night before. She hadn't spoken again after her earlier expression of gratitude and her countenance was still neutral at best, but she was more lively than she had been before. Lina and Gourry were both keeping a close eye on her to make sure that nothing went wrong.

Unfortunately, that meant they weren't keeping a close eye on the road.

Gourry was the first to notice a figure standing at a road sign ahead of them. He didn't stop, but slowed down considerably enough that Lina got the message that something was wrong.

"Is that someone standing at the sign?"

"Yeah. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about them."

"You never know. They could just be waiting to meet someone here." Lina shrugged and picked up the pace again.

"Someone like us?"

"Gourry, don't be silly-"

Lina didn't get to finish her sentence before the figure stepped out and waved to them. She stopped in her tracks just a short distance away from where it was standing.

"Can I help you?"

"Who do you work for?" A deep voice answered her question with a question.

"Huh?"

"Who do you work for?" it repeated. "Is it Lord Beastmaster? Lord Dynast?"

Lina took a step back and realized that Lizzie was standing just behind her. "What do you mean? I don't work for anyone, especially not someone like that-"

"Denial won't work when the child is right there. Hand her over and I'll allow you to escape unharmed." The figure stepped forward, closing the gap between itself and Lina.

As soon as it moved, Lizzie bolted.

" _LIZZIE!_ " Gourry was the first to yell, chasing after the girl while Lina began firing defensive spells. He managed to overtake the girl quickly, and knelt down to scoop her up in his arms. Unfortunately, she didn't have any intention of being captured, and began screaming, kicking, and biting.

"L-Lizzie, it's me, Papa- stop that- HEY! What's gotten into you?"

The girl's struggle didn't stop, and actually increased as the cloaked figure drew closer to them. Gourry noticed this and immediately turned so that his body was between the girl and the creature.

"Don't you _dare_ lay a finger on her!" Gourry's words finally gave Lizzie pause for a moment, and she calmed enough that he could tighten his grip. "Lizzie," he whispered, "do you know this thing?"

She nodded her head vigorously, her face buried into the fabric of Gourry's shirt. He noticed that Lina had readied an offensive spell, lest the creature make any sudden movements, but the creature had stopped moving when Gourry had yelled at it.

"I understand that your intention is to start a fight. You've been ordered to provoke Lord Deep Sea's wrath in order to give your master a reason to retaliate. Am I wrong?"

Lina let the spell in her hand dissipate. "Dead wrong. We're not even Mazoku."

"You don't have to be. I wouldn't expect a Mazoku lord to send easily identifiable subordinates to do their dirty work when human mercenaries could complete the task easily."

"We're not mercenaries, and we're not Mazoku." Lina shot back, taking a few steps towards the creature with her arms outstretched, threatening to send off a spell at the slightest provocation. "Lina Inverse doesn't work for _anybody but herself_. Tell that to your master, why don't you?!"

There was a pause, and the sound of the wind passing over fields of corn and cotton filled the silence as each member of the confrontation considered the others' intentions.

"…Lina Inverse," the creature finally spoke. "I'll make a note of that."

Before anyone could say anything more, the creature disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a shadow and a bad taste in Lina and Gourry's mouths. Gourry felt Lizzie shift closer in his grip, and he reached to stroke her hair the way he often did for Lina in the rare occasions that their adventures caused them to cross paths with slugs or reminders of the Knight of Cepheid. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that Lizzie was sensitive about her hair being touched, and she let out a yelp as soon as his hand made contact with her head. He immediately let her go, and she scrambled over to where Lina was approaching them.

"I-I'm sorry, Lizzie!" Gourry pulled himself to his feet and ran to Lina's side as she picked up the girl. Lizzie's forgiveness appeared to be given freely, as she leaned over and held out her arms to Gourry as soon as he drew close.

"Is everything okay?" Lina asked, passing the girl back over to her 'Papa.' "What was that thing? It must have been a Mazoku working for Deep Sea, but-"

"Lizzie said she knew him." Gourry answered. He glanced down at the girl who had buried her face in his shirt again. "Is that right? Had you seen him before?"

Lizzie pulled away just enough to nod her head. She was sniffling and her shoulders were trembling, but Lina saw no sign of tears. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, careful not to brush against her hair.

"You can cry if you want to. It's okay."

The girl looked back at Lina with a wide-eyed expression. Lina repeated what she'd said, and Lizzie blinked a few times before her face contorted and she began to sob loudly. The noise appeared to startle a group of black cattle that were lounging under the shade of a nearby tree, but beyond that it was swallowed up by the vastness of the landscape.

"It's okay. You're okay. We won't let him hurt you, I promise." Lina whispered soft assurances to the girl as they continued down the road. Gourry was silent for a while, just content to watch, but he eventually spoke up again as the village they were approaching came into sight over the next hill.

"Was that… the danger you think Eliza was talking about in her note?"

"It's very possible." Lina answered. "When we get to Seyruun, we need to look up this Eliza person. Samantha gave us lots of information on her, thanks to your inquiries. It shouldn't be too hard to find someone who's heard of her- especially since she went to Seyruun City to study."

"That's probably a good idea." Gourry nodded his head. "For Lizzie's safety, among other people's."

"Including ours."

"Yes, including ours."

Lina hated to talk about the girl as if she wasn't there with them, but Lizzie wasn't acknowledging anything as she continued to cry, and it was possible that she couldn't hear the conversation over her sobs. Lina wanted desperately to stop the girl's crying, but from the looks of it, Lizzie had not been allowed to display such emotions at her previous home. Everyone needed a good cry every now and again, and Lina wouldn't dare deny such a young child that opportunity.

Lina had fully prepared herself to fight enemies like this in order to rescue Lizzie. She just hadn't expected to be attacked so soon. It hadn't been much more than 24 hours since they'd gotten her, after all. Whatever Mazoku they were dealing with, Lizzie was so important to them that the Mazoku had immediately gone into action. No Mazoku would do that, Lina figured, for such a tiny human girl unless that human girl held some importance beyond herself.

This was not a situation to be taken lightly.

* * *

There wasn't much at the foothills village of Propst Crossroads, but Lina and Gourry favored it as a waypoint to Seyruun City because of the lovely bed and breakfast located there. By this point they were regular patrons and were on a first-name basis with the family who ran the place. After Lizzie finished with her dinner, Lina and Gourry encouraged her to go play with the owner's children as the owner had suggested, but Lizzie was still too nervous, and stayed at the table, inching her chair closer to Lina every time she caught one of the other guests looking at her. The owner had tried to approach the girl, and ended up getting bitten as a result. Lina and Gourry apologized multiple times, and while the owner was understanding, they were still embarrassed.

The room Lina and Gourry had was small, but cozy, and the beds were decorated with brightly-colored pillows that captured Lizzie's interest. She was busy playing with the pillows as Lina began her usual bedtime ritual, sitting at the vanity and brushing her hair. Intrigued, Lizzie put down the pillows and approached Lina in curiosity.

"What're you doing?"

The girl's voice was so quiet, Lina almost didn't hear the question over the din of insects just outside the open window. "I'm brushing my hair," she answered, trying not to act surprised at the fact that Lizzie had finally spoken for the second time. "Do you want me to brush yours?"

"No."

"Okay, then."

Lina watched as Lizzie stood on the tips of her toes to lean on the windowsill, enjoying the feeling of the cool night air. A large crane fly entered the window, causing the girl to jump back in surprise, but as soon as she identified it as harmless, she calmed down and shooed it back out the window herself. Lina suppressed a giggle at the scene, such a carefree change from the frightening events of that afternoon.

Once the crane fly was successfully out the window again, Lizzie turned and moved back to stand in front of Lina. "Yes," she spoke with an expectant smile.

"What? Did you change your mind?"

Lizzie nodded.

"I'll have to touch your hair. Is that okay?"

Lizzie nodded again.

"You trust that I'm not going to hurt you?"

Another nod.

When Gourry finished in the bath, he returned to the room to find Lizzie sitting on the edge of the bed with Lina sitting behind her, running the brush gently through her hair. He stopped for a moment in the doorway, watching in surprise, before speaking up.

"Well, this is a surprise."

Lina looked up at him and stopped brushing as she did so. She was going to reply, but the lack of motion caused Lizzie to squirm and whine, so Lina turned back to continue the action as she responded. "What's so surprising about it? Lizzie wants to be like her mama, is all. Isn't that right?"

Lizzie made a verbal sound of affirmation, but didn't move her head or speak. She was enjoying the special treatment way too much.

Eventually the group had to turn in for bed. Gourry blew out the candles, shrouding the room in darkness except for the moonlight from the window. Lina made sure that Lizzie was comfortable, but before they could fall asleep, Lizzie squirmed and sat up in bed next to Lina, tugging on the sorceress' sleeve.

"What is it?" Lina groaned.

Lizzie motioned to Gourry's side of the room. "Papa's lonely."

"If you want to sleep beside Papa, go ahead."

The girl slipped out of bed and scurried over to where Gourry was half asleep. She snuggled under the blankets beside him and was content for a moment before turning to look back at Lina.

"Mama's lonely," she observed.

"Then go sleep next to her."

"But if I'm there, Papa will be lonely."

Lina sat up in bed and looked over at them. "Gourry, I don't think she'll be happy either way."

"Don't worry. I have a solution." Gourry sighed and stood up beside the bed. He tucked the blankets around Lizzie with an affectionate smile, though it was hard to see in the dark. "Hold on tight," he instructed as he slid the bed across the room so that it was next to Lina's.

It was the first time that they had heard Lizzie laugh. She giggled as the bed was moved, and clapped once Gourry had gotten it into place. "Again, again!"

"No- not tonight," Lina murmured, placing her arm around the girl. "And tomorrow night you'll have a room all to yourself. A big, comfortable bed that belongs just to you...you'll like that, won't you?"

Lizzie reached out and tugged on Lina's hair. "I like this."

Lina was going to offer a rebuttal, but Gourry jumped in before she could say anything. "Then you can stay with us tomorrow night."

A smile came over the girl's face, and she burrowed into the blankets. Lina and Gourry had discovered the night before that the girl's nose whistled when she snored, and it wasn't long before they were met with the sound again.

Lina had to gently, so as not to disturb the girl, but she wanted to confront Gourry. "Hey!" she hissed under her breath. "You can't promise her things like that?"

"Why not?" The bed creaked as Gourry shifted his weight. "I'm sure they have guest rooms in the palace with beds large enough for all three of us."

"That's not the issue. If Lizzie gets used to this, it's going to become a habit. That's fine for us, since this is only temporary, but what's going to happen when she gets to her permanent family?"

Gourry was quiet for a moment, preferring to contemplate the sound of the crickets outside rather than give a response. "...what about that Mazoku we met today? Is it safe to leave her alone overnight?"

Lina pressed her lips together as she thought it over. "I didn't think of that. We'll have to discuss it with Amelia. It'll be late when we get into the city tomorrow, so Lizzie can stay with us again tomorrow night. Then we'll figure out where to go from here."

* * *

Lizzie kept close to Lina and Gourry most of the morning. She rarely strayed outside a certain distance from their sides, and tried to hold onto their hands whenever she could. Eventually, however, her feeling of danger seemed to subside and she was content skipping along the side of the road, stopping every so often to pluck a dandelion or one of the bright yellow wildflowers that dotted the area. One time she stopped by a fence to pick some flowers and a goat appeared, shoving its nose through the slats in the fence as though it thought she was going to feed it. Lizzie yelped and ran to Gourry's side, but Gourry approached the fence in hopes of showing the girl that the goat was friendly.

The goat was not friendly.

Lina worked a healing spell for his hand as they walked, taking the chance to give Lizzie a lecture on how biting people was Not Nice and how she should be more considerate of people so that she wouldn't end up being like the goat. It took Gourry a little longer to bounce back to a better mood, but when he saw Lizzie beginning to slow her pace and drag her feet, he was happy to scoop her up in his arms and perch her on his shoulders. Immediately enthralled by the new view, Lizzie soon found it very comfortable and fell asleep with her cheek pressed up against his hair.

Lina was on alert the whole day for any signs of Mazoku, but there was nothing. Only the warm, sweet breeze carrying the scent of growing corn across the landscape.


	5. Every Man for Himself

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **5- Every Man for Himself**

"Your highness? Are you still awake?" A knock on the door caught Amelia's attention. She set her book aside on the nightstand and stood up to answer it.

"Yes?"

"Oh, good." One of her fellow priestesses smiled in relief as she saw the princess answer. "I was asked to bring a message to you by someone at the palace. Your friends have arrived and are staying there tonight."

"Miss Lina and Mister Gourry? That's wonderful news!" Amelia ran to grab a robe and her shoes. "I'd like to talk to them if they're still awake."

"I don't know if they are. The people from the palace said they showed the three of them to their room alrea-"

"Three?" Amelia interrupted, stopping short as she worked to put on her other shoe. "I thought it was just the two of them."

"Well, the two of them and their daughter."

" _Daughter?!_ They don't have a- I mean, as far as I knew, they didn't-" She paused and thought it over for a moment. "No, I saw them three months ago. I would _know_ that they don't have a child."

The priestess held up her hands. "I'm sorry! I was just telling you what I was told. I don't know these people, so-"

"N-no, _I'm_ sorry! I didn't mean to yell." Amelia quickly assured her. Don't worry about it. I'll go to the palace and see what's going on. Come to think of it, I may stay there for the night, since I'm to meet with my grandfather tomorrow morning. Let the others know that I'll be back in time for the potion-making, okay?"

The temple and the quarters for the priestesses were not far from the palace, and it didn't take long for Amelia to make it to the room where the group was staying.

She knocked a few times, and when there was no answer, allowed herself in. "Miss Lina? Mister Gourry?"

Lina sat up in bed at the sound of her friend's voice. Quickly, she stepped out, tucking the blankets back around Lizzie before tugging Amelia out the door with a finger pressed over her lips.

"Sorry about that. I just didn't want to wake them." Lina apologized, stepping to the other side of the hallway and giving Amelia a big hug. "It's so good to see you! How are you? It's been a long time- several months, at least."

"Yes, it has been, but..." Amelia glanced toward the door uneasily. "That's not long enough for you to have... I mean... that girl is..."

"Oh, Lizzie?" Lina motioned toward the door. "I figured your first question would be about her."

"Where did she come from?"

"Would you believe" Lina began with a serious expression, "that she's Gourry's from a previous relationship?"

Amelia paused. Her face paled. "I-I had no idea... I never imagined that... well, I mean..."

Lina laughed, giving Amelia pause from her response.

"As I thought. You're as gullible as the rest of us. That's a ruse that Gourry and I used to rescue her from a bad situation in a little village we passed through a few days ago."

"Miss Lina! Don't lie to me like that!"

"Forgive me." Lina was still laughing. "Gourry fooled me with that story, so I had to share some of the pain. In any case, we brought her with us because we wanted to find her a real family- one with parents who will love and support her. We figured that... maybe _you_ could help us? The sorceress shrugged. "Surprise! Happy birthday!"

Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. "I couldn't pass up the chance to help a child who needs it. We can talk about this tomorrow. I'm sure you've traveled a long way and need to rest."

With a big smile, Lina moved to hug her friend again. "Thank you, Amelia. We know that we can count on you."

"I'm just glad to have you here, Miss Lina." Amelia spoke as she returned the hug. "And I know that my grandfather will be happy to hear you're here as well."

"Your grandfather?" Lina broke away. "What do you mean? Is something going on?"

"No, no. He's had a fever recently and been rather paranoid. About a week ago, Zelgadis left on vacation, and my grandfather was very unhappy. If having you and Mister Gourry here will calm his nerves, I'll be relieved."

"Yeah, definitely." Lina nodded. "Anything to make him feel better, right?"

"With his current condition, that's all we can do."

Despite the late hour, the two girls found themselves eager to catch up. Amelia told all about her adventures back and forth between Seyruun's government and temple complexes, and Zelgadis' various trips during his vacation time- earlier to an alleged '"fountain of youth" which turned out to be a bust, and this time to a mysterious cave where visitors had reported temporal abnormalities. She missed him while he was gone, but was excited for him, and made him promise to take her on a trip sometime when she wasn't busy with work.

Lina spent a long time explaining in detail her and Gourry's rescue mission and the troubles they'd encountered in rescuing Lizzie- from Klaus' strange potions, to Eliza's mysterious suicide note, to the Mazoku they'd met on the road. She also discussed with Amelia what steps they might take to finding Lizzie a family in Seyruun- once the Mazoku threat was eradicated, of course. Amelia replied with what Lina had feared, that the girl's hostility toward strangers and inability to do what she was told would be a barrier they'd have to overcome before they could present her to any potential families. Lina promised Amelia that Lizzie just needed some time to become comfortable, and she was certain everything would work out.

Eventually, a clock down the hallway striking one o'clock prompted the girls to say farewell and part for the night. They hugged a third time, and Lina waved as Amelia disappeared down the hallway. She then turned around to open the door-

-and almost hit Lizzie in the face.

"H-hey! What are you doing awake?" she stammered in surprise. The girl was wide-awake (unlike Gourry, whose snoring could be heard even through the wall.)

"I had a bad dream."

"Ah..." Lina took the girl's hand and tugged her back in the direction of the bed. "Well, don't worry. Papa and I are right here, and we won't let you-"

"Can I have a glass of water?" Lizzie tugged back on Lina's hand in the direction of the door. Lina sighed and followed after her. Their soft footsteps echoed down the hallway to the kitchen- a place that Lina was very familiar with. She had no trouble, even in the dark, shuffling around to find a glass and pump some water into it.

"Here, now. The glass is heavy, so be careful not to spill it."

"Okay."

Lizzie took a few tentative sips from the rim of the glass, and then expertly overturned it, spilling the water all over herself. Lina gasped and immediately grabbed hold of the glass to keep the girl from dropping and breaking it. "What did I say?!"

Lizzie avoided eye contact as she wiped her face off. "Sorry, Mama."

Lina tried to keep from grumbling to herself as she escorted the girl back to their room, trying to move fast to keep from leaving a puddle in the hallway. The water had soaked into Lizzie's pajamas and was dripping, leaving a visible trail behind them. Once back in the room, Lina gathered some towels and one of her own shirts that Lizzie could borrow for the night.

Perhaps she shouldn't have made promises to Amelia so easily.

* * *

Before breakfast, Amelia had to bandage her hand where Lizzie had not been as eager as she was for a hug. Lina had scolded the girl harshly about it, and Lizzie had run off crying, so Lina went after her with the promise to meet Gourry and Amelia in the dining room later.

"Is she always like this?" Amelia asked as Gourry helped her with the bandages. "From what Miss Lina told me, she seems to have some trouble with socialization."

"She's fine around Lina and me... though it took her some time to warm up to us. I'm sure she'll warm up to you too."

"That's not the issue." Amelia pulled her hand away, checking that the bandages were tied up neatly and motioned for Gourry to follow her down the hallway. "If she's this hostile to strangers, it'll be very hard for us to find her an adoptive family."

Gourry frowned and closed the door to the closet so that he could follow after Amelia. "What can we do, though? Lina and I have been doing our best to be loving and supportive."

"Yes, Miss Lina told me all about your experience last night. I would say that the best thing is to keep doing what you're doing. It's just a bad idea to expect everything to happen all at once. Lizzie has been through a lot."

"I get what you're saying. It's the same thing I told Lina when she made the decision to rescue Lizzie. This sort of thing doesn't heal overnight. For a kid who's been beaten up and pushed around all their life, it's not easy. Gods, they may carry that anger with them _the rest of their lives_."

"Is that... experience talking?" Amelia ventured.

Gourry glanced up at the ceiling. "Don't ask."

Amelia looked away in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to intrude, and wasn't used to being scolded by Gourry of all people. "Well, on another subject, Miss Lina is accompanying me to the temple today, so you'll have to keep Lizzie."

"Oh yeah- you're making medicinal potions, right?" The discomfort in Gourry's voice had faded completely. "I'll be happy to keep Lizzie. There's all kinds of fun things to do here in the palace. We can try playing ball in the courtyard if it's not too hot."

"Wonderful!" Amelia clapped her hands. "Then Miss Lina and I can focus on investigating the strange potions that Lizzie's uncle had. Miss Lina's sure that, if we can figure out what he was drinking, it'll shed some light on the intentions of whoever was controlling him."

"I don't know much about magic-y potions and stuff, but I think it's worth a shot!"

* * *

It was a hot, sticky morning that so abruptly roused the young man from the spot on the floor where he was sleeping as though he'd collapsed. Despite the heat, he was covered in a cold sweat, and when he sat up to take in his surroundings, his stomach lurched violently. Overcome with nausea, he gagged a few times, but ultimately wasn't able to produce anything from his empty stomach. Frantic thoughts flew through his mind as he tried to process what had happened.

There was no headache, so he couldn't be hung over. He hadn't had a sip of alcohol in several years, right? Certainly not since he'd promised his sister to protect his precious niece-

"Lizzie?!" Klaus scrambled to his feet, though it was difficult with his lack of balance. The whole house looked different than he'd remembered it. This cluttered mess couldn't possibly have been made by an infant who was just learning to walk. Where was she? Who had done this to his house?

A quick search of the place only made his worries worse. He stumbled across the table in the main room, which was overflowing with liquor bottles. His heart raced as he picked one up and searched for a label. "Who drank all this?! It wasn't me, was it?"

No one was there to answer his question, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he had blacked out, and his memory had a big blank. He sniffed one of the empty bottles in an attempt to identify it, but dropped it abruptly. It didn't smell at all like alcohol. The caustic scent made him gag and he had to place one hand on the table for support. He didn't know what it was, he didn't know how long he'd blacked out, and he didn't know what had happened to Lizzie.

All he knew was that something dreadful had happened.

"Aunt Sam! Aunt Sam!" Klaus didn't care how early it was. If he woke anyone in the village as he rushed to his aunt's house, all the better. Someone had to know something about what had happened.

"...Klaus? What are you doing? Don't you know how early it is...?" Samantha opened the door wearily. "You can't possibly be-" She stopped mid-sentence, as she caught sight of his face. "...you're sober."

"I- what? Th-that's not important right now! Where is Lizzie?"

"Come inside, will you? You're not making any sense. Are you sick?"

Samantha tugged the young man's arm to pull him into her home and sat him down on the couch. "You're awfully pale. Have you eaten recently? Let me get you some toast. Give me a few minutes."

"Th-there's not time for that!" Klaus protested, jumping up again and obstinately following after her. "Something's happened to Lizzie- she's missing and the whole house is a mess. I'm afraid that someone- or something- might've taken her, and I promised Eliza that I'd-"

"Klaus, calm down. Don't you remember? Lizzie's with her father now. They left town a few days ago." Samantha pulled a pot of coffee off the stove and poured a cup for Klaus.

"Her _father_?! That's impossible!" Klaus refused the cup, pushing it back toward Samantha. "Eliza told me that her father was dead!"

"That's what you said a few days ago, but I didn't know where you'd heard it. Are you sure Eliza told you correctly? Gourry said that she'd left him rather than the other way around. Maybe she was just saying that he was personally dead to her, or-"

"Gourry? Gourry who?"

"I... think his name was 'Gabriev.' Gourry Gabriev."

Klaus stepped back and glanced around. "That's not the name Eliza gave me. She never mentioned someone by that name."

"Klaus, honey, I think you're confused." Samantha pushed him back to the couch, making a clear effort to keep her composure. "Mister Gourry was obviously very close to Eliza. I could see that he really cared for Lizzie, and I'm sure she'll be very happy with him and his girlfriend-"

"No! That's not true! Eliza told me with no uncertainty that Lizzie's father was a man named Archer." Klaus had lost his ability to speak civilly anymore, and he pushed his aunt, knocking the cup out of her hands. It fell to the floor, spilling its contents all over the carpet. "Eliza didn't want me to tell you, because she didn't want you to know that she was a murderer. She came back here to hide Lizzie because some of Archer's buddies came after her following his death, and-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH."

Samantha slapped her nephew across the side of his face. It was enough to stop his fervent rant short. He looked up at her with fear in his eyes.

"But..."

"I will not have you in my house spewing nonsense. You've been perpetually drunk for years now, subjecting that poor girl to all manner of neglect, and now that a responsible family member has finally shown up to take her in, you're willing to speak ill of your own sister in order to get her back? You need to sort out your life, because you can't keep this up."

Klaus fell back onto the couch while Samantha retrieved a rag from the kitchen to wipe up the coffee spill.

"Drunk for years...? What do you mean? I've been sober for-"

"Not since Lizzie was barely learning to walk. You turned into a completely different person, Klaus."

"W-wait. How old is Lizzie now, then?"

"She'll be six in a month or two, I think. You can't even keep up with how-"

"I have to go!"

"Klaus!"

Samantha watched helplessly as the man made a dash for the door. He hadn't bothered to even say goodbye. She was sure he wasn't drunk, but he was acting less coherent than she'd ever seen him. Ignoring the coffee spill for the moment, she ran out the front door after him to catch him. "Klaus! Klaus, where are you going-"

"I have to set things right!" His voice carried from down the street. "The Klaus you've known for the past four years wasn't me, and I have to fix what he's done!"

Samantha stared and made plans to go straight to the doctor that morning, in order to seek help for whatever disease had taken hold of her nephew's brain. She hoped it wasn't too late.

* * *

"Wow. It smells really good in here."

Lina was bombarded by a myriad of smells as she walked into the temple's massive kitchen. A group of priestesses were hard at work boiling herbal ingredients that they were going to use in their potions, each one closely monitoring the pot that they were assigned to. As soon as Amelia walked in, however, one of the younger girls stopped what she was doing and rushed over.

"Amelia! Good to see you! Is this... Lady Lina that I've heard so much about? How nice to meet you!"

"Miss Lina, this is Tracey. I was her mentor last year while she was going through training, and we've been the best of friends ever since. She's always been busy when you've been in town, so she never got to meet you." Amelia motioned back and forth between the two of them. "Tracey, this is Miss Lina."

The girl was practically bouncing with excitement. "You're really cool, Lady Lina! Come here- let me show you around!"

Before Lina knew it, she was being whisked around the kitchen to each of the stations, shaking hands with the priestesses who had all heard Amelia's stories of the famed Lina Inverse. Some of the younger girls squealed in excitement and hugged Lina with the respect that a child would have for a storybook hero, while the older girls kept a safe, respectful distance.

Eventually, Lina managed to squeeze out of the milling group to visit a pot whose color had caught her eye. Leaving the others behind, she drew closer to the pot, and as she did a breeze from the open window blew the steam in her direction. The thick, caustic smell caused her eyes to water and her to cough violently, and for a moment she feared that she wouldn't be able to catch her breath again. In the haze, she heard a gasp from the crowd behind her. One girl ran around her to slam a lid on the pot, and a voice scolded another girl for leaving the pot unattended. A pair of arms grabbed Lina from behind- and a good thing, too, as she felt as though the floor were moving beneath her and almost lost her balance. Thankfully, whoever had grabbed her helped her to a stool where she could sit down and regain her bearings.

As she came to again, she was aware of a few girls fanning her and urging her to take deep breaths. In another part of the kitchen, some unfortunate priestess was getting a stern lecture about being careless with dangerous substances.

"-ss Lina? Miss Lina?" Amelia's voice broke through the haze. "I'm so sorry. That should have been supervised- something so concentrated can be dangerous. Are you alright?"

"That's it."

"Excuse me?"

Lina coughed before she could continue. "That's it. Whatever's in that pot- that's what Klaus was drinking."


	6. Off the Record

As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **6- Off the Record**

"You'll get the hang of it soon, don't worry. It's like everything else: it just takes practice."

Gourry offered encouragement to Lizzie as they walked down the hallway of the palace. Both had flushed faces and were sweating, even though it was only mid-morning. They'd been playing out in the courtyard, trying to make the most of the cooler morning weather. Unfortunately, the day heated up quickly, and they were soon forced inside.

Lizzie obviously wasn't used to playing with others. Gourry had found a ball that they could use and had encouraged her to come play with him, but he found out right away that playing catch with a little girl with Lizzie's background was a bad idea. He made a note _never_ to throw anything at her again.

Instead, they'd played a modified game of football, finding it easier to handle a game where they weren't supposed to touch the ball with their hands. For at least a moment, Lizzie appeared to be enjoying herself and it filled Gourry with happiness. He didn't know where such affection had come from, considering he'd met the girl just a few days ago. Perhaps it was from the charade of being her father or his promise to care for her, but whatever the reason, he wouldn't deny being unexplainably attached to her.

That might pose a problem later on, but he figured he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

"Here's the kitchen. Today's a quiet day, so there's nothing going on, but on days of banquets and festivals, this place is loaded with people. This is new to you, right?" Gourry looked down at the girl, explaining their surroundings as he searched for water glasses for the both of them.

"No." Lizzie shook her head, causing Gourry to stop.

"No? You've been here before?"

"With Mama."

"When did you and mama come to the kitchen? Why wasn't I with you?"

"I don'know. You were 'sleep." The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I'm thirsty."

"Yes, I'm trying to remedy that right now." Gourry could only smile at the girl's impatience. "Is this what you came here with Mama for?" he continued, handing her a full glass.

"Yes."

"Don't spill it, okay?"

"Okay."

The man turned back to the water pump to fill his own glass when he heard a splash of water onto the floor and a soft "oops." Swinging around, he found Lizzie righting the glass again and staring at the dark stain of water that had trailed down her dress.

Gourry groaned. He allowed himself a drink of water before turning to help Lizzie clean up, though he seemed to realize something as he knelt down beside her.

"It's hot today, isn't it? I bet that cold water felt good. Did you spill it on purpose to cool yourself off?"

Lizzie bounced up and down on her toes. "Maybe."

Gourry smirked and took the glass out of her hand, dumping the remaining contents over his head. Lizzie gasped and jumped back a short distance, but immediately started giggling.

"You were right! That does feel good!" Gourry stood up and pushed his wet hair out of his face. "But seriously, we should wipe up the floor. If someone comes in here, they might slip and fall."

The kitchen was quiet as Gourry took to the floor with a rag. Once he was certain that the floor was dry, he wrung the rag out over the sink and placed it over the edge so that it could dry out too. Lizzie had stood to the side, watching the whole thing in fascination and then jumping in surprise when Gourry turned back to her.

"I think what you need is a drinking straw." Gourry offered, and then began to search through the drawers. Within a few minutes, he'd found a straw for Lizzie and sat down next to her, offering her refilled glass to her again. "It's all too easy to get dehydrated on hot days like today, so don't be shy if you want to ask for more."

The quiet that followed felt odd to Gourry. He was used to amiable silences between himself and Lina- it was a sign of a good relationship, not having to fill every moment with conversation. But Lizzie spoke so little, it sometimes felt awkward being around her. In Gourry's experience with young children, five-year-olds often seemed like they would never _stop_ talking.

"So... you and Mama came here last night while I was asleep, huh?" It wasn't much, but Gourry tried to make at least an attempt at conversation.

"Yeah."

"Mama's kinda scary, but she's nice too. Do you like her?"

Lizzie made a noise of affirmation and nodded her head. "Do you?"

"Me?" He was so delighted that she'd responded with a question for him, he wasn't totally aware of what he was saying until he had already spoken. "Oh, I _love_ her! She's my best friend, plus she's super smart and strong and brave and... uh, well, you know. She's great."

"You love her?"

"I-I guess." Gourry found himself stammering in response. He wanted to be honest with Lizzie, but at the same time, he didn't want her running off and telling Lina all his secrets. "You always love your friends, don't you? That's love. But, if you're talking about me wanting to kiss her or marry her or whatever, I guess... well, I do, but that's not..." He stopped abruptly. "You can't tell her I said this."

"Why?"

"Me saying I want to marry her? She'd get so angry with me, I don't know what I'd do!"

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't like me like that."

"Oh."

"Oh' is right. That's why." Gourry closed his eyes and sighed. "You have to promise me you won't tell her I said this."

"Okay."

"So you won't?"

"I won't."

Gourry sighed and looked down at his feet. In a way, it was embarrassing to think he'd fallen so hard for his friend. He was supposed to be Lina's traveling buddy, protector, fellow lover of good food, and whatnot. How angry would she be if she knew? While part of him wanted to be honest, an even bigger part of him didn't want to have to face that anger.

"Say, Lizzie? Miss Amelia told me that you had a loose tooth. Can I see?" It was as good a subject change as any, and Lizzie reacted accordingly.

"No." She quickly covered her mouth.

"No? Why is that?"

"'Cause I don'wanna show you yet."

"Just a peek? I want to see."

"Papa, you're being noxious."

"You mean 'obnoxious?' Where'd you learn that word? From Mama, I bet. Did she call me that?"

"Yeah."

"I am not obnoxious! ...most of the time..."

* * *

"That's it. Whatever's in that pot- that's what Klaus was drinking." Lina's voice was firm. She was sure beyond any doubt. "What is it?"

There was a silence and then some murmuring. Someone turned back to Lina and pointed to the pot. "That's purple gopher root."

Lina choked. "Isnt that _illega_ l?"

One of the youngest girls gasped loudly. "Is she going to die?"

"From the steam? I'll be fine." Lina waved her hand dismissively. "I'll just be feeling it in my throat for the next couple of hours."

One of the older women- the one who'd been scolding the girl for leaving the pot- approached Lina to examine her. "You may be dizzy for a few minutes too. If you're still feeling the effects in an hour or so, you should tell someone, but the likelihood is that it'll pass quickly."

"And it's only illegal to produce for consumption in concentrations over a certain amount." Amelia jumped in. "We're preparing it as a raw ingredient for making potions later. No one's going to drink what's in that pot."

"It can be very harmful in large doses," the priestess who'd been caring for Lina agreed, "but adding it in very small quantities to other ingredients can make potions great for the treatment of anxiety and some forms of insomnia."

"I'm sorry, Lady Lina! I should've been more careful!" A dark-haired girl on the other side of the room called out, sounding as though she had been crying and was trying to keep her composure.

"Don't worry about it. It takes more than that to bother me." Lina shrugged, a proud smirk on her face. "No one can blame you for forgetting what you're doing when a _celebrity_ walks in the room, right?"

A relieved laugh passed through the room, and Amelia sighed. "She's perfectly fine."

The commotion in the kitchen began to die down as Lina stood up again, requesting to speak with Amelia and Tracey in another room. Amelia found a comfortable spot to sit and discuss the situation, and Tracey went to get some tea for Lina to soothe her throat.

"No wonder I couldn't identify the smell. I've never encountered concentrated gopher root before. If we had to use it- and I don't recall ever doing so- the Zephilia Sorcerers' Guild would provide it to us in tiny vials." Lina rested her chin in her hand as she thought through the situation. "I read a lot about it, though. It's illegal in high concentrations because of its potential to be used for mind control, right?"

"That's right." Amelia nodded. "We have to be careful with how we mix potions with it. Our certification to use it could be revoked if we include too much. Of course... it's not prudent to use too much anyway. It tastes so terrible, we have to mask it somehow."

Lina leaned back in her chair, rocking back and forth on one leg that was shorter than the others. "Medicine isn't supposed to taste good."

"It's used to treat insomnia. No one wants to fall asleep with the taste of gopher root in their mouth."

"Fair enough."

"Here's your tea, Lady Lina. I included cream and a hint of sugar, just how you like it." Tracey sat the cup and saucer on the table in front of Lina, eliciting a confused look from the sorceress. Lina leaned forward and took the cup so that she could take a sip before answering.

"It's perfect. How do you know my tea preferences?"

Amelia raised her hand. "That's my fault. I mentioned it once when we were discussing tea preferences over dinner. I didn't think she'd remember it, though-"

"I'm so happy it meets your approval, Lady Lina!" Tracey gave a hurried bow and scrambled over to sit next to Amelia. "Now, where were we?"

"I've figured out that purple gopher root is what made up the potions that Klaus was drinking. That confirms my suspicion that he was under some form of mind control, possibly by Mazoku. Despite its illegal status, I'm sure gopher root can be easily obtained on the black market for the right price, and I don't doubt the resources of some Mazoku."

"A lot of the gopher root we use here is provided to us by the government- confiscated from criminals found with it here in the city." Amelia explained. "The temple uses so little, our demand can be supplied almost entirely by the contraban collected by officials."

"Crime does as it chooses. The easiest way I've found to take care of it is to blow it up." Lina shook her head. "But that's not ethical, as I've been told, and it causes a lot of collateral damage."

"Miss Lina, why do you think the Mazoku were controlling this man? Do you think it has something to do with Lizzie? Or do the Mazoku coming after Lizzie have something to do with Klaus?"

"My personal opinion is that it's centered around Lizzie. Eliza wouldn't have asked her family to protect Lizzie if the problem was with Klaus. From what we learned from her aunt, Eliza was too smart to leave her daughter in her brother's care if her brother had some issue with Mazoku."

"If that's the case, what do they want with her? What do demons want with a five-year-old girl? I mean, that Mazoku tracked down you and Mister Gourry less than 24 hours after you took her in."

"It has to have something to do with her supposedly-deceased father. But without knowing who he was, I don't have anywhere to start."

Tracey's eyes were growing wider each time that Lina and Amelia spoke. She hadn't noticed that she was gripping the arm of the chair until Amelia reached over and tapped her wrist.

"Tracey, your hand."

"Oops! Sorry!"

"Don't look so worried." Lina took another sip of tea and then laughed. "Are we bothering you with our talk of evil Mazoku and cryptic intentions? You're perfectly free to go back to work with your friends if you think this is too much-"

"No, this is really exciting! I've heard about all your adventures from Amelia, but those almost seemed like fairy tales. Now I'm in the midst of one- it's like a dream."

"Don't get too excited." Lina warned. "There's a lot going on, and you could be in danger if you get too involved. I haven't heard from the Mazoku since I told it who I was. That could be a really bad thing, considering the history I've had with their race."

Amelia crossed her arms and gave a frustrated sigh. "It's all fine and good to discuss what we know and what we don't. But what are we going to do about it? I'm going to be busy at the temple again tomorrow, so I can't do anything to-"

"Amelia, if there's an emergency, you know I wouldn't mind taking over your duties." Tracey broke in. "You have to fight for Justice."

"That's not necessary." Lina responded before Amelia had a chance to accept. "Eliza's aunt told us that she came to Seyruun City several years before Lizzie was born. If Gourry and I check through the public records, we may be able to find out more about her, and perhaps some clues about Lizzie's father as well."

"I'll be glad to show you two where the public records are stored." Amelia responded. "You should have no problem finding what you need."

"Can't I do anything?" Tracey fidgeted in her seat. "Surely I could-"

"You should keep working hard here at the temple." Lina interrupted. "Everyone's counting on you, right?"

"Right..."

* * *

"Is Lizzie going to be alright? I don't like the idea of leaving her unattended."

"Don't worry so much, Gourry. The windows are open to the courtyard, so we can hear if anything goes wrong." Lina walked over to the window and leaned out, waving over to the little girl who was playing with a set of dolls on one of the benches in the early-morning shade. "Hey, Lizzie! Are you having fun?"

"Yes!"

"Papa and I will be right in this room, so call us if you need anything."

"Okay!"

Satisfied with the exchange, Lina pulled herself back inside and motioned for Gourry to follow her toward the rows of filing cabinets. "Does that ease your mind a little?"

"I suppose..." Gourry murmured, following after her. "So where should we start looking? Would the census data be what we want, or...?"

"The census would only tell us that she was here. That's almost a given. We need something in more detail. From what Samantha told us, Eliza came here with the intent to study White Magic. We don't know whether she followed through with that, though. She sounded so individualistic, she might have gone off to do as she pleased. I can check in the records of temple personnel, if you'd like to go through the criminal records. She'll probably be in one or the other."

"And if not?"

Lina put her hand on Gourry's back and pushed him in the direction of the criminal files. "We'll decide what to do about that when we get there. Now go. You're looking for an Eliza Abbey."

"Right."

The sound of insects buzzing through the open windows was the only noise in the room as Lina and Gourry worked. Lina flipped through various files in search of any mention of an Eliza Abbey. She wasn't listed under staff, so Lina then turned to student records. She found that these weren't filed under name, but under year, then under type of student, then under name, so if she wanted to find anyone with the name 'Abbey,' she'd have to look through all of them. Lovely.

Jumping back to the years that Eliza would have been in Seyruun, Lina started through the rank files. Students were assigned ranks based on either a recommendation from another temple or sorcerers' guild, or a placement test score in lieu of the former. They were then placed into groups based on whether they were studying White Magic as part of a larger program, as its own discipline, or with the intention of becoming a priest or priestess. It took a long time of sifting through the folders, but Lina finally came across a file labelled "Abbey." She was surprised, and didn't think it was the right one at first- it was listed at a very high level and had one of the purple stickers on it that indicated the clerical track. But there the name was, in big letters- ELIZA ABBEY.

"So she was looking to be a priestess, huh?" Lina murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "Then how...?"

Impatiently, she tugged the file open and began reading through the information. Eliza didn't have a lot listed; there was a hand-written essay inside the file documenting the reasoning behind her desire to join the Seyruun clergy. She mentioned her younger brother, a recovering alcoholic, and how his journey to sobriety had inspired her to help others dealing with similar problems. It sounded a little saccharine to Lina, and she figured it was probably exaggerated. She remembered writing a few over-the-top essays to impress her teachers at the Sorcerers' Guild in Zephilia. If Eliza was really as skilled as her aunt and the placement score played her up to be, surely she could come up with some heart-tugging reason why she should be given a good education.

Lina figured that she shouldn't read anymore without letting Gourry join her, so she pulled herself to her feet and approached his end of the room. She almost ran into him, however, as he was walking towards her with a thick file in one hand.

"Hey! I was just looking for you."

"I was looking for you," Lina responded. "What do you have there?"

"I found her listed with the wanted criminals, and I think you're gonna be interested in what she was wanted for."

"That's..." Lina stared at the folder in his hand. "that's impossible. It must be someone else. I found a file on her as a student studying to be a priestess, and she mentioned Klaus in her essay. Whoever you found, it can't be-"

"Occupation: student of clerical studies at the Temple of Cephied in Seyruun City," Gourry read off the first page in his folder. "Eliza Abbey. It's the same person."

"That's a pretty big record. What'd she do? Shoplift a whole bunch of incense?"

"Not quite-"

Gourry didn't get to finish his sentence as Lina jerked the folder away from him. She began flipping through it, her face growing paler with each page she turned. Breathlessly, she read the words aloud as though she couldn't be sure of their tangibility if she didn't hear them.

"First degree murder, first degree murder, attempted murder, accessory to murder, first degr-" She stopped short and looked up at her companion. "Gourry, this is the file of a suspected serial killer."

He could only nod in response.

* * *

(A/N: I apologize that this chapter was a little late. I'm test-driving my Gourry cosplay this weekend at Libraricon so that I can work out all the bugs before I take it to Anime Weekend Atlanta in a few weeks, and I had quite a bit of work to do on that tonight. Nothing says "cosplay" like procrastination and subsequent panic.)


	7. Keep a Secret

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **7- Keep a Secret**

After being out among strangers for a week or so, Zelgadis was relieved to return to a place where he felt comfortable removing his mask. Seyruun's palace and government facilities were oddly quiet, but that was to be expected during the middle of summer when many of the employees were on vacation. He wandered into the courtyard, not expecting to find anyone awaiting his arrival.

The cave that supposedly produced temporal anomalies was a bust. Oh, it worked alright, but it was too unpredictable to ever be used for any purpose. Zelgadis knew that there had been an odd bend in time while he was in the cave, but he didn't know how long. It had been several hours according to his pocket watch, but when he emerged from the cave, the watch and the daylight didn't match up. He wasn't sure whether the cave had merely extended his expedition for a few extra hours, or actually sent him backwards or forwards in time. He had prepared his speech for Amelia, who might very well be angry that he was a few days- or, gods forbid, weeks or years- later than he'd promised.

The only person he encountered when he entered the courtyard, however, was a little girl.

He'd never seen her before and she didn't look at all familiar. The girl was underneath one of the benches next to the stepping stones, waving around a doll and a stuffed animal that appeared to be a rabbit. She took notice of him almost immediately when he stepped onto the brick path, and he stopped abruptly as he felt a pair of small, brown eyes fixed on him. She scooted out from under the bench and hid behind it, peeking just over the back of it at the strange man who'd just entered the courtyard.

"...hello?" Zelgadis approached curiously, not wanting to leave a fearful child in his wake. He had to show her that he was friendly. "Are you okay? Don't be scared."

The girl shied away as Zelgadis drew closer. He slowed his approach and tried to smile, but she turned away and moved to run. However, she tripped on the edge of one of the stepping stones and fell onto the grass. The ease and composition with which she pulled herself to a sitting position showed that she wasn't hurt, but Zelgadis held his hand out to her in order to help her up anyway.

He didn't expect her to bite him.

She, on the other hand, didn't seem to expect her target to have such strange skin. Instead of her teeth clamping down onto soft flesh, she met with solid rock. Immediately, she pulled back and one hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening.

Zelgadis noticed the blood on his glove first. It wasn't much, but he knew it wasn't his- it had to have come from the girl.

The little girl had already placed a hand to the middle of her lower jaw. Zelgadis strained to see what had happened, but with her fingers in the way, all he could see was that her gums were bleeding. It seemed almost simultaneously that the girl tasted blood, saw it on her fingers, and began to scream. Zelgadis had to cover his ears at first, it was such a shrill yell, but it quickly evolved into a sobbing "MAMAAAAAA! PAPAAAAAA!" over and over.

It was hard not to panic in a situation like that. Zelgadis knew that, despite how much he wanted to run away, he needed to stay and take responsibility. He only prayed that the girl's parents would be forgiving. It _was_ her aggression that had caused the problem, not his. Sure, he should know better than to approach children by now, but...

"Lizzie? Are you okay?!" "What's going on? What happened?!"

The two voices were familiar, but it took seeing their faces for Zelgadis to believe it. Gourry went straight to comforting the child without noticing his friend, but Lina saw him right away.

"L-Lina... this isn't..."

Zelgadis tried to speak some excuse, but Lina held out her hand to cut him off. "Hold that thought, Zel. Screaming children take priority."

Gourry had produced a handkerchief and instructed the girl- Lizzie, Zelgadis guessed- to hold it over a spot on her lower jaw. Lina had taken the girl's other hand and was holding it tightly, but her tone of voice was harsh.

"How many times have I told you not to bite people? It's rude and it's dangerous. You can't keep doing this."

Zelgadis hated to see the kid upset any further, but the scolding gave him some relief. He didn't have to come to his own defense about what had happened. Lizzie spoke something that was so muffled by the handkerchief that Zelgadis couldn't make it out. Lina and Gourry seemed to get it, though, and Gourry handed something over to Lina.

"Don't worry. You'll be okay. Keep that handkerchief over where your tooth was, and it'll stop bleeding soon," Gourry instructed, placing a comforting hand on the girl's head. "Everything's okay, I promise-"

"It's better than okay," Lina interrupted, holding out the tiny object so that the girl could see. "Do you know how excited I was when I lost my first tooth? This one's been bothering you lately, and now that it's out of the way, a bigger, stronger one is going to grow back in its place. Don't you want bigger, stronger teeth?"

Lizzie's sniffles were beginning to subside, and she nodded her head. Gourry stood up and reached for the girl's hand. "I'll take her into the kitchen to wash up. She's got blood all over her hands. Should I meet you and Zelgadis back in the archives, or-"

"No, I'm going to grab the folders we were looking at and take them to the sitting room down the hall. Meet us there, okay?"

"Got it."

Lina watched Gourry escort Lizzie back inside before turning to speak to Zelgadis. "I am so, so sorry about that. We've been trying so hard to get her to stop the biting thing, and it just hasn't worked. Don't take it personally- she does it to everybody. At least it took care of that pesky loose tooth she's been having trouble with for a few days. That's good, right? So!" She tossed her arm around his shoulder. "How's it going? Sorry that Amelia isn't here to greet you, but she wasn't expecting you for another few days. She'll be really excited to see you- and I'm excited to hear about this mysterious cave you visited. I didn't think there was such a thing as time travel-"

"Wait, wait." Zelgadis stepped away from her, waving his hands. "I have some questions for you too. First and foremost, who was that girl?"

"Oh, you mean Lizzie? That's a long story." Lina pouted at Zelgadis' refusal of her affection and grabbed his hand to lead him inside. "She's an orphan, and Gourry and I rescued her from a little village nearby where her only caretaker was her uncle, who was under Mazoku influence. We were hoping to find her a good home here in Seyruun, but we can't yet. Now there's some Mazoku after us- after her- and we don't know why. It may have something to do with the fact that her mother was a suspected serial murderer, but we don't have enough information yet to say for sure."

Zelgadis was silent for a moment before finally letting out a sigh of near disbelief. "Never a dull moment with you, is there?"

Lina laughed. "What did you expect?"

* * *

Klaus was growing frustrated. It was as though the people who'd taken Lizzie had disappeared completely. He knew that he was probably looking in the wrong places- after all, there were several roads that they could have taken out of town, and he might be on the wrong one. He had refused to stop until he found them, but the meager savings he had were beginning to wear thin.

If he slept outside, he figured, he could avoid having to pay for an inn, and maybe catch some of his own food. But his first evening outside, he found that he was a pitiful hunter and didn't have the gear necessary to fish. On top of that, it was beginning to rain, and the shelter he'd put together was nowhere near watertight. Frustrated and tired, he tried to console himself with the thought that he was finally getting that bath he'd hoped for when he was so sweaty in the middle of the day.

It didn't help.

The clouds overhead never provided the rain they looked like they would. What came down was more of a light drizzle that felt like it was _trying_ to be rain, but wasn't quite there yet. Klaus had fallen into a daze of self-pity, but was roused from it when he heard what sounded like thunder in the distance. He was surprised, because he hadn't seen any lightning that might have indicated it, but it sounded again, clear as anything. There was definitely no lightning, and the sky was actually beginning to clear in some places. If it wasn't thunder, it had to be something else... likely something magical.

It could be exactly what he was looking for.

Klaus scrambled to his feet and began following in the direction from which he'd heard the noise. He had a vague feeling that he was walking into a situation he shouldn't be, but he pushed that into the back of his mind- until he had to actually dodge a magical attack.

"FREEZE ARROW!"

Klaus dropped to the ground, shoving his hands over his head in fear of getting hit. He wouldn't have gotten hurt had he not dodged, but it was a gesture done out of surprise more than observation of his surroundings. His safe position didn't stop him from being yelled at by the person who threw the spell, however.

"What do you think you're doing?! Get out of the way, idiot! You shouldn't even be here!"

The young man needed a minute to become aware of his surroundings. He found himself by the bank of a small creek with perhaps the most frightening woman he'd ever encountered looming over him. Klaus wanted to speak to her, but he was cut off by another voice before he could gather his thoughts.

" _Oh,_ great _. Him again._ "

The woman looked up immediately toward the figure on the other side of the creek that Klaus could barely see out of the corner of his eye. Something about the creature's voice was familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it.

"You know this man?" the woman asked.

" _He used to work for me, but he failed at his job and lost my trust. His memory should be clear, but perhaps he was able to figure out too much. I should've killed him earlier-"_

"You're not killing anyone!" The woman stepped in between Klaus and the figure, stretching her arms out protectively.

Klaus leaned closer in an attempt to make eye contact with whatever creature was across the stream from them. "Wait a minute! What do you mean, I used to work for you? Are you the one who took Lizzie?! Tell me where she is-"

" _The girl has been kidnapped by a human sorceress with a grudge against Mazoku. She's a pawn being used in a game of cat and mouse between the two. I would advise you not to get involved._ _Lina Inverse is a dangerous human, and she wouldn't be happy to see someone interfering with her plans to lure the Mazoku into a trap._ "

"…Lina Inverse…"

Klaus heard the woman murmur the name, but he didn't care about that at the moment. "Lizzie's just a little girl! You can't do that to her! If this is about Eliza and Archer, then you should be-"

" _This is about more than just the two of them. Your sister knew nothing about the scope of our plans, and you know nothing. You were such a good employee for so long, I hate to kill you and destroy any chance that you'll be useful in the future. Stay out of this mess if you value your life._ "

"Hey, HEY!" The creature had disappeared, and the woman took off, splashing through the creek towards where it had been standing. By the time she got to the point where it had existed, there was nothing left but residual energy of a dark presence. "Damn! I thought I finally had him! I had the perfect plan worked out and everything!"

Klaus pulled himself to his knees, trying to brush off the mud where it was clinging to his shirt and pants. He heard splashing in the creek again, and by the time he looked up to see what the source was, the woman was standing next to him again. She grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"It's your fault that Mazoku got away! Who is Lizzie? How is she connected to Miss Abbey and Archer?"

It felt like the woman's sharp blue eyes were cutting right through him. Klaus was too terrified to feign innocence. "Sh-she's their daughter!"

"The two of them? I think you're mistaken. Miss Abbey murdered Archer."

Klaus nodded. "I know that. She seduced him and slept with him to gain his trust, then killed him in his sleep. One time is all it takes."

"Miss Abbey was training to become a priestess-"

"-but would do anything to rid the world of Mazoku conspirators. She did her research on her targets, like any good assassin, and knew all their weaknesses."

The woman considered his answer for a long moment. "…how do you know this?"

"My name is Klaus Abbey. Eliza was my sister."

" _Was_?"

"She died… several years ago, apparently."

The woman cursed under her breath, but placed Klaus back on the ground. The rain was beginning to pick up, and it was obvious that she didn't want to be out in it longer than necessary. "All this time, I've been looking for the wrong person. The Mazoku have been after Miss Abbey's daughter, not her. That explains a lot… and if Lina Inverse in involved, there's no question the Mazoku will…"

"Can you help me find my niece?" Klaus felt bad about interrupting her external monologue, but she was his best hope at the moment. "Please, I just want to know that Lizzie is safe."

Within a few moments, the soft sound of the rain in the trees was broken by a loud, earsplitting laugh that seemed to shake the trees and the ground itself. Klaus covered his ears until he was sure she was finished.

"Naga the Serpent doesn't give services away for free, you know! But you're in luck, because you just so happen to have something I want. You seem like an intelligent man- care to make a trade?"

"…a trade?"

"You tell me everything you know about your sister and her victim Archer, and I'll lead you to where Lina Inverse- along with your niece, supposedly- is."

"How do you know where Lina Inverse is?" Klaus asked, accepting Naga's hand to help him to his feet.

"Because," she replied with a sparkle in her eye, "I know Lina's best friend, and I know _exactly_ where Lina will be on her best friend's birthday."

That awful laugh resounded through the forest again, and Klaus began to worry a little less for the sake of his niece and a little more for the sake of his hearing.

* * *

"Someone has probably already told you, but I've got good news!" Amelia was extra chipper as she stopped by her grandfather's room to check on him before he went to sleep. "Earlier today, we-"

"Keep talking while you're making a fire, would you? It gets too cold here in the evenings."

Amelia tried to keep a smile on her face as she nodded and got to work. "Sorry, sorry. You get cold more easily than I do, so it's hard for me to tell. As I was saying, earlier today, we-"

"Yes, I know. Sir Greywords has returned. I'm relieved to hear that. Why isn't he with you now?"

"He's working with Miss Lina and Mister Gourry. They're searching for some specific documents in the archives, and he knows the filing system better than any of us do." Amelia knelt down by the fireplace and began placing some fresh kindling in to get it started. As she did, something odd in the ashes caught her eye, and before she knew what she was doing, she reached out and pulled it from between the pieces of wood.

It was a paper, charred and smeared black to the point that the writing on it was illegible in most places. Amelia could see only several places where the text was clearly visible.

"… _utation in Seyr… nd Amelia are bot… ght every one of these Maz…"_

The last bit, which was at the bottom of the paper, looked vaguely as though it might say "Mazoku," but when Amelia rubbed it with her finger in an attempt to uncover the rest of the word, the charcoal smeared, covering up even more of the text and causing a corner of the paper to tear. It was disappointing, but Amelia wasn't going to worry too much about it. The worries she had were more about the fact that she'd been mentioned by name… and she recognized the handwriting.

"Amelia? Is something wrong?" Eldoran couldn't see Amelia from his position in bed, and he attempted to prop himself up on his elbow so that he could see what was causing her to hesitate.

"Grandfather, what is this?"

"What? I can't see it."

"It looks like one of Gracia's letters, but it's all burned up. What is it doing in the fireplace?"

Eldoran dropped back to his previous position with a sigh. "Did one of Gracia's letters end up there? What a shame. It was too hot earlier yesterday, and I had an attendant open a window to let a breeze in. A stack of letters from the table flew everywhere, and she thought she'd retrieved them all, but clearly one was missed."

Amelia was silent. Uneasily, she set the paper down beside her and returned to her work. That story sounded a little… _off_ to her. She could take it to her friends later and see what they thought.

There was no way that her grandfather and sister could be lying to her, was there?


	8. An Unsafe Bet

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **8- An Unsafe Bet**

"The archives will give you the names and places, but it won't give you the urban legends and rumors that flew around about this person."

Zelgadis had flipped through the files Lina and Gourry had given him and returned them without pointing out anything in particular. "The clergy tried to cover it up, so I wouldn't be surprised if Amelia was unaware, but word of the so-called _Priestess Assassin_ spread fairly quickly through some circles. I remember hearing about her very early on in my search for my cure. She was at the peak of her assassin career shortly after I'd been cursed, and the story of a priestess who killed Mazoku conspirators was of great interest to me."

"Let me get this straight," Lina set the file aside, waving her hands, "this woman was not only a killer, but one with a reputation? That… actually makes sense, if we're going to assume that the Mazoku are after Lizzie because of her mother."

"What are Mazoku conspirators?" Gourry asked, sending a nervous glance over to the chair in which Lizzie was sleeping, making sure she was still unconscious and not listening in on their conversation.

Zelgadis opened his mouth to answer, but Lina started talking before he could get a word in. "It refers to a human who's made a pact to work with Mazoku in order to achieve some end. Remember Halcyform, who made a pact with a Mazoku in order to receive immortality? And Zuuma, who merged with Mazoku to restore his arms?"

"I remember." Gourry nodded.

"A lot of the people that the Priestess Assassin killed were ones that not only were under a pact with the Mazoku, but were acting on their behalf." Zelgadis offered. "Mazoku often hire humans to do their dirty work, since it's harder for competing Mazoku to identify who the human is working for. They pay well… or so I've heard, anyway."

"Humans can make short term or long term agreements with Mazoku." Lina added. "The short term agreements are actually more dangerous, though, because people think that, once they achieve what they've been hired to do, their connection with the Mazoku will end."

"That's not the case?"

"Absolutely not. When you make a pact with a Mazoku, you're connected to them for life, no matter what they expect you to do." Lina shrugged her shoulders. "But, typically, the Mazoku pour their resources into their long-term employees. It's a more definite investment for them."

"If another human were to kill a long-term Mazoku conspirator, the Mazoku would probably see them as a thief." Zelgadis placed his hands on the arms of his chair and stood up. "What we need to do is investigate the woman's victims. Lina, can you get those written down? If they were all Mazoku conspirators, they would probably have criminal records of their own. We should be able to find them near where we found-"

"We're way ahead of you, Zel." Lina slapped a stack of files down on the table. "Gourry gathered up the files of all the named victims. Five out of the six had files in the criminal records, and if those don't turn up anything of value, we can look for the last one. We can give these a read-through and see what we think-"

"Zelgadis? Miss Lina? Mister Gourry?"

The group paused and looked over at the door. Amelia had appeared, clutching something small in her hands. Zelgadis stood up and approached her, holding out one hand.

"Amelia! Good timing. We need your help to-"

"Actually, _I_ need to ask you guys something." Amelia turned away from his gesture, clinging tightly to the charred piece of paper in her hand. Zelgadis' face fell as he watched her, and he took a step back.

"What's that?"

"What's up, Amelia? Something wrong?" Lina rushed over and stood on the tips of her toes to see over Amelia's shoulder. "You sound upset."

"Miss Lina, you don't think…" Amelia stared at her feet as she spoke. Her face was pale and her voice was shaking slightly. "…that my grandfather would lie to me, do you?"

"Your grandfather?" Zelgadis gasped. "Amelia, what's this about?"

Gourry watched the group for a moment before getting up and walking over to the chair where Lizzie had been curled up. He gently nudged her shoulder and called her name, and once she began to stir, he scooped her up in his arms. "It's late… long past time when you need to be in bed."

Lizzie made a soft sound of agreement and pressed her face against Gourry's chest.

"Lina, I'm going to carry her to bed. You guys-"

"No, I'll go with you." Lina ran to Gourry's side, sending Zelgadis and Amelia a friendly wave. "I think this is something those two should discuss on their own. Hold on to those files, Zel. We'll take a look at them again tomorrow morning."

"R-right." Zelgadis didn't have much time to argue. Lina had grabbed Gourry's arm and pulled him and Lizzie out of the room before there was time to call out to them. Hesitantly, he glanced toward Amelia who was still visibly shaken. "Hey, um… I forgot to mention earlier, I brought back some of that tea you like as a souvenir. The, uh, chamomile and lemongrass one. Do you want me to make some of that while we talk?"

Amelia nodded silently. "…perhaps Grandfather's paranoia has rubbed off on me. I may be upset over nothing."

"You wouldn't be upset unless there was the _potential_ for something to be wrong." Zelgadis led the way toward the kitchen, motioning her to follow. "I trust you. Don't lose trust in yourself."

* * *

"Can you decipher what it says?"

Zelgadis accepted the paper from Amelia and set down his mug of tea so that he could focus solely on the task that had been given to him. He moved the paper so that it was closer to the lantern on the table.

The large room was quiet, save for a few workers passing through on their way to other wings of the palace. The temple bells could be heard in the distance, striking to indicate the sunset, and the sound of music from somewhere far down the hall played in the background, but none of these sounds was loud enough to draw Zelgadis or Amelia's attention away from the paper.

"It says something about… hmm, something in Seyruun. Could be salutation, reputation, orientation… I can't really tell. It mentions you- _and Amelia are both_ \- obviously it's placing you in a pair or group of people and describing you, but I can't tell what the descriptor is or who else is mentioned. Then the last bit mentions _every one of these Maz_ \- I can't imagine that last word being anything but Mazoku."

"So you agree that it's suspicious?" Amelia shifted her weight and stared down at her mug of tea.

"At the very least, I think it's illogical to assume that the letter could've been burned on accident. Whether it was your grandfather's intention to burn it isn't clear, but _someone_ had to know that it was in the fireplace when they lit it- or have placed it in after the fire was started."

Amelia began tracing the rim of her mug with one finger. "Gracia never wrote anything about Mazoku in her letters to me. Hers were always stories about her having fun, going on adventures, drinking, and making new friends. Grandfather also said that she never wrote him anything out of the ordinary. No matter who burnt the letter and why, _someone_ is keeping secrets from me."

"We can't say that for sure, either. There are some suspicious words on this paper, but without the proper context, it's impossible to know what the message is. There's not enough to go by. Unless you can intercept one of your grandfather's letters, we can't prove anything."

"But if I were to…" Amelia frowned. "…that's just not right."

"It's not technically illegal. With your grandfather's frail state of health and the recent advances in curses that can be cast on paper, all of the king's letters are supposed to be checked beforehand, but close friends and family are given an exception for privacy reasons. If you have reason to believe that there's a security risk, then no one can get you in trouble for simply checking over your grandfather's mail."

"Yes, but what if it turns out that I'm wrong? What if they're not hiding anything from me and I have to explain to my grandfather that I was snooping around in his private letters because I didn't trust him?"

"Amelia, this is the man who doesn't like you to be more than two meters away from your bodyguard at all times." Zelgadis rolled his eyes. "He'll understand."

"I guess so. But… what if I'm right?" Amelia tried to catch Zelgadis' eyes, but his gaze was distracted out the window, observing the last of the colors draining from the western sky. She turned away and sipped the last of the tea from her mug.

"That depends on what being right means to you." Zelgadis responded, still staring out the window. "What exactly do you suspect?"

"I suspect that there's some sort of danger that Grandfather and Gracia aren't telling us about. That's what's making him so paranoid. We're in danger and he doesn't want us to know."

"Amelia, if you were in danger, don't you think your grandfather would _want_ to tell you?" Zelgadis stood up and collected the empty mugs from the table.

"He would," Amelia followed after him, "unless it's _knowing_ that puts someone in danger. What if there's a secret that only he and Gracia know, that's causing them trouble?"

"But what kind of secret would that be?"

Amelia stopped short as she reached the edge of the large staircase that Zelgadis had already started up. She stared at her feet as she spoke. "I don't know."

Zelgadis had stopped about halfway up, seeing that she wasn't following him anymore. "Do you want to find out?"

"I don't know."

He sighed and turned around, continuing up the stairs. "Well, until a new letter comes in from your sister, you can't really do anything. You have that long to think about it. I'll give you some time alone to-"

Before he could get any farther, Amelia had run fast enough to catch up with him on the top step. She took one of the mugs from him and clasped his free hand in hers.

"Thank you. But I think what I really need tonight is some company. It's been too long since I've had that."

"With all due respect, Amelia, it's been a week and a half."

"Exactly."

* * *

"Lizzie, what are you doing?"

Lina glanced down and the girl who was hiding underneath the bench. She'd found out several days earlier that Lizzie wasn't the easiest child to play with, and so Lina was working hard as she could to figure out what the girl's interests were. Now that she'd agreed to switch off with Gourry watching Lizzie for a few hours while the others worked, it was the perfect chance to learn more about her.

"I'm hiding. Shh." Lizzie pressed a finger to her lips.

"Hiding from what?" Lina stood up and knelt down beside the bench so that she could get a better look at the girl. She shifted her grip on the stuffed toy that she was holding, hoping that maybe Lizzie would take notice of it. The girl hadn't had much interest in new toys- not nearly so much as she had in that plush rabbit that Lina had repaired, and it disappointed Lina. If it was a fear of new things that was keeping Lizzie from playing like a normal child, Lina wanted to help in any way she could.

"Nothing. Just hiding." Lizzie lay down on her back and scooted over so that her head was poking out of the shade of the bench and into the bright sunlight. Her eyes were following a group of bees flying around a bush to her right, tracing their paths back and forth between the flowers.

"Do you… want to play a game?" Lina ventured awkwardly.

"No."

"Not even football? Papa said you liked that."

"No."

"Well… what _do_ you want to do?"

"This."

"Hide under a bench all morning?"

"Yeah."

Sighing in reluctant defeat, Lina slid under the bench and lay next to the girl. Lizzie scooted away, but Lina put her arm around the girl to keep her close. It elicited a fit of giggles as Lizzie squirmed.

"Mama, stop it! We're hiding!"

Lina was too relieved to have finally made Lizzie laugh to quit so soon. "Oh no, you don't. You're not getting away so easily!" She wrapped her arms even tighter around the girl and tugged her out from under the bench. Lizzie pulled away and Lina let her go, watching her run around to the other side of the courtyard. Lizzie found a perch on one of the stone walls and took the chance to tease Lina. She waved her hands wildly until she lost her balance and nearly fell. Seeing the girl nearly topple over, Lina was on her feet and rushing across the courtyard in a split second, but Lizzie regained her balance before she could fall. She instead saw Lina coming toward her and took it upon herself to begin an improvised game of tag.

The two spent several minutes like that, idly chasing one another around the courtyard, all smiles and laughter. Lina had to admit, even her usually powerful stamina had a hard time keeping up with the limitless energy of a five-year-old girl. She was winded, but also relieved to see Lizzie playing and laughing like any child her age should. There was still a long way to go, but Lina was determined to accompany her the whole way.

She was treading on dangerous ground with a promise like that, but it didn't occur to her to think anything different.

Lizzie was so caught up in running for the fun of it, she wasn't paying much attention to where she was going. Like the day before, her foot caught on the edge of the stepping stone- that same pesky stone- and she toppled over onto the grass. There was no injury, and Lizzie picked herself up with ease, but that didn't stop Lina from kneeling down next to her in order to look her over.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm fine," Lizzie whined, pulling away from Lina's grip. Her response was genuine, so Lina took her chance to give the girl a tight, playful hug.

"You're not getting clumsy, are you? You're almost as bad as your papa!"

"Is Papa clumsy?"

"Oh, he's terribly clumsy."

"And obnoxious?"

"Completely."

The two girls laughed for a moment, and Lizzie sat down again, leaning next to Lina. "Mama... do you like Papa?"

"What do you mean?" The question, to Lina, felt as though it had come from nowhere. "Of course I like him. We're best friends."

"He said you don't like him."

"Oh, Papa was just joking around." Lina began stroking Lizzie's hair absentmindedly. "We both say things like that about one another, but we don't really mean it."

"No, he meant it for real." Lizzie tilted her head back so that she could look up and catch Lina's eyes. "He said he wants to marry you, but- shh- don't tell, 'cause you don't like him like that."

Lina frowned. "…when, exactly, did he say this?"

"The other day, when we played ball." Lizzie slid backwards so that she was lying down in the grass with her head in Lina's lap. She plucked a few small flowers from the grass beside her and started picking at the leaves. "Remember, it's a secret, so don't tell."

"Lizzie… that's, uh, really not how secrets work." Lina grabbed the girl by the shoulders and pulled her back into a seated position. "When someone tells you to keep a secret, you can't tell _anybody_."

Lizzie tilted her head with an innocent expression. "Did I do something bad?"

"Yes, you did. When someone trusts you with something, they…" Lina let her voice trail off, a mix of frustration and disappointment painting her words. "…they expect you to keep your word. If not, then they might feel like they can't trust you in the future." With a groan, Lina fell backwards onto the grass. Her hair fanned out underneath her head, and she covered her eyes with the palms of her hands. "Stupid Gourry. You promised to tell me stuff like this."

"Are you mad?" Lizzie crawled around to lean over Lina's face.

"Not at you. I'm mad at your papa."

"Why? 'Cause you don't like him?"

"No. I _do_ like him. That's why I'm mad."

"I don't get it."

Lina groaned again, this time with more fervor, and picked herself up. "It's complicated." She started brushing grass off the back of her cape, so Lizzie stepped in to help. Lina appreciated the girl's efforts and was going to voice her thanks, but she was suddenly overcome by a chill that started on the back of her neck and moved down her spine. Filled with a sense of foreboding, she turned around to grab Lizzie tightly and hold her hand out to threaten a spell toward whatever was watching them. "Who's there?"

" _Was I that conspicuous?_ "

Lizzie shrieked as a dark figure materialized from the wall on the opposite side of the courtyard. Lina decided that the best answer to the creature's question was to throw spells and ask questions later.

" _ELMEKIA LANCE!_ "

* * *

"Lina really agreed to be put on babysitting duty while we read through files? I can't believe it." Zelgadis expressed his surprise as he passed out folders to Gourry and Amelia. The group was gathered at a conference room table where they would have some privacy to discuss their research without others poking in. The room was on the second floor, but it still bordered the courtyard where Lizzie had been playing the day before, and they could hear her and Lina chatting quietly down below.

"We flipped a coin for it," Gourry replied as he took one of the folders and began thumbing through the papers inside of it. "Lina is covering the morning job, and we'll switch off after lunch."

Zelgadis glanced out the window. "She must really like Lizzie."

"She's very fond of her," Amelia commented with a smile. "It's nice seeing Miss Lina willing to get so close to someone besides Mister Gourry."

"Hey, now… I think that's a bit of a stretch…" Gourry scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Lina thinks of me just like she thinks of the two of you. We're all the best of friends, right? No need to put people into categories."

Amelia and Zelgadis glanced at one another. Amelia shrugged and Zelgadis sighed, leaning over to tap the folder that Gourry was holding.

"Please don't be so dense when you're going through that. There could be important information that we need."

"…dense?"

Gourry questioned it for only a moment before he saw his friends engrossed in their reading and did the same. The folder he was holding was full of really boring information. It was all about some woman who had a record of thievery. The record of museum artifacts that she'd stolen or attempted to steal should have been an intriguing read, but it was all written in really technical language. The only saving grace was the detailed drawings of the stolen items. Some were really old-looking, while others had strange writing on them or jewels embedded. A lot of them looked magical, like something Lina would like to get her hands on. She'd stolen tons of stuff like this from bandits before… the only reason this person had gotten in trouble was that she had stolen it from a museum. Well, that and she was probably stealing them for Mazoku. Did that make a difference?

As boring as the technical documentation was, Gourry was easily distracted by the sound of yelling and laughing from outside. He looked toward the window, and though he couldn't see Lina or Lizzie from where he was sitting, he was sure they were having a good time. Wouldn't it be nice if he could join them-

"Gourry? You're spacing out over there."

"Huh? Oh. Sorry, Zelgadis." Gourry shook his head to dispel his earlier thoughts. "I was just thinking, it sounds like Lina and Lizzie are having fun out there."

"Do you want to join them?" Amelia ventured. "Zelgadis and I could take over here if you wanted to-"

"No, no!" Gourry shook his head, absentmindedly grabbing another folder from the middle of the table. "I was just, uh, thinking about things."

"What kind of things?" Zelgadis asked. Amelia put a hand on his arm to quiet him, but he ignored her.

Gourry turned the folder he was holding over a few times in his hands. It was thin, and bent easily, and so he occupied himself with moving the corners back and forth. "Well, I know Lina and I brought Lizzie here to try and find her a family here in Seyruun, but I was just wondering about… how it would be if _we_ adopted Lizzie instead. I mean, she already thinks of us as her parents, so it's not like she'd have to warm up to somebody completely new. But maybe it's just wishful thinking."

Amelia and Zelgadis looked at one another for a long moment before Zelgadis finally spoke, a triumphant smirk on his face. "You owe me that coffee."

"That wasn't fair!" Amelia pouted.

Gourry had begun to crack the folder open, but stopped as he noticed their reaction. "Were you two… betting on whether Lina and I would want to adopt Lizzie ourselves?"

"No." Zelgadis shook his head. "We were betting on which one of you would bring it up first."

"What?!"

"It's just a cup of coffee." Amelia was still pouting. "It's not like we were betting over anything major."

"You're a sore loser." Zelgadis laughed.

"It was just… I mean… I was just suggesting it… as something to think about…" Gourry opened the folder so that he could hide his face in it. "…it's not like it was-" He stopped abruptly and backed away from the folder so that he could actually read what was on the page. "This folder is empty."

"What? I thought it at least had one page in it." Zelgadis leaned over the table to get a better look. "Doesn't it say anything?"

"Well, yeah, but it's just a note about information being moved. What's _Classification A_?"

" _What_?!"

"It says that the contents of this folder have been moved to _Classification A_." Gourry held up the paper for Zelgadis to see. "That's all it tells me. It doesn't even say what that means or where to find it. How are we supposed to-"

"That doesn't make any sense," Amelia interrupted, moving her chair closer to Zelgadis' so that she could examine the paper. "I don't see any reason why a simple criminal record would be moved to Class A."

"Yeah. Isn't that the government's highest classification level?" Zelgadis responded.

"It is. Not even my dad can access that without Grandfather's permission." Amelia answered. "Only Grandfather can grant access to those files."

"Ah, too bad." Gourry placed the folder aside. "I guess we should focus on the others-"

"Are you _kidding_? This has got to be what we're looking for!" Zelgadis slapped Gourry's hand away from the other folders on the table. "We need to investigate this further."

"Access to Class A files are on an individual basis, so I'm sure Grandfather would be happy to let us see it." Amelia took the file from Gourry and the paper from Zelgadis and placed them together. "It's filed under… _Archer_. That shouldn't be too hard to remember. We can-"

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of a girl's scream from outside the window. By the time Gourry was on his feet and to the windowsill to make sure that Lizzie and Lina were still just playing, the sound of a magical spell being fired had echoed through the courtyard.

They were _not_ playing.


	9. Real Deal

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **9- Real Deal**

" _ELMEKIA LANCE_!"

The creature disappeared before the spell could hit it, and suddenly reappeared behind Lina. Lizzie clung to Lina as tightly as she could, making it hard for her to breathe. However, Lina wouldn't dare force the girl to loosen her grip. She was frightened enough for herself; she couldn't imagine how Lizzie might be feeling.

"You're the same guy from last time. I already told you, Lina Inverse works for nobody-"

"Don't worry so much. I'm only here on surveillance," the Mazoku assured her. "It seems things are working out for the best after all."

"W-wait a minute." Lina stiffened and turned so that she could see the Mazoku. "Best for who? For _you_?"

The Mazoku didn't answer her question. "A good friend of mine, Naga the Serpent- do you know her? She seems quite familiar with you."

"...Naga?" Lina murmured the name considered it for a moment before her face contorted into a snarl. "I know Naga well enough to know that she'd _never_ be friends with a Mazoku. She may be a little misguided at times, but she'd never ally herself with someone she thought was a villain."

To her surprise, the Mazoku smiled. "Perfect. That makes things easier on me."

"What-"

Lina was hardly able to begin her next question. Lizzie screamed as the Mazoku moved toward them. It disappeared onto the astral plane before it could reach them, however, and the courtyard fell silent except for the crying of a child. Lina held Lizzie tightly and stroked her hair, but it was hard to be comforting when she herself was overcome by worry.

 _Naga...? How did Naga get involved with these guys? How did they know I knew her? What are they playing at-?_

"Lina! Lizzie!" "Miss Lina, what's going on?" "Is everyone alright?"

Three voices all yelling at once cut off Lina's train of thought. She looked up to see her friends approaching her and stood up, making sure that Lizzie was well-supported in her arms.

"Sorry to make you guys worry. There was a Mazoku, but it's gone now."

"You're not hurt, are you? What did it want?" Gourry leaned closer to Lina, but she sidestepped him and pulled away.

"Don't crowd Lizzie. She's scared." Lina turned her attention to her other friends for a moment, ignoring Gourry. "Amelia, Zelgadis, are either of you familiar with the sorceress Naga the Serpent?"

The two glanced at one another.

"I can't say that I am," Amelia responded with a shake of her head. "Sorry."

"I feel like I've heard the name before, but it's not ringing any bells. Sorry about that." Zelgadis shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure there's something about her in the records, if you need to know who she is-"

"No. I'm quite aware of who she is." Lina shook her head. She shifted Lizzie's weight to a better position to walk and made her way toward the door. "It's just that Naga's involved with these Mazoku somehow, and I'm worried about her. Lizzie's upset, so I'm going to get something to drink and see if I can help her calm down."

The group watched as Lina hurriedly carried a sniffling Lizzie inside, away from the courtyard and the events that had just happened. Gourry glanced around uneasily.

"Oh man... Naga is a name I haven't heard in a long time. They were close, but Lina doesn't talk about her very much."

"Wait, what?" Zelgadis shook his head a few times. "What was Lina's relationship with this woman?"

"It was... well, complicated is probably the best word." Gourry moved to sit down on the nearby bench, and Amelia did the same. Zelgadis leaned on the back of the bench, listening to Gourry continue. "They were kinda friends, I guess, but also enemies... well, not really enemies as much as they were rivals, so kinda not-friends, and I wouldn't say they were lovers, but I wouldn't say they _weren't_ an item in a strange way..."

"Complicated sounds about right," Zelgadis interrupted. "So what happened to that complicated relationship? Did they break up, or have a falling out, or...?"

"No. Lina said they just went their separate ways, expecting to see one another at the next bend in the road, like they always did, but... they didn't. Lina hasn't seen her since."

"You develop a certain kinship with anyone you travel with," Amelia offered. "Miss Lina is just worried about this person's safety, I'm sure."

"I would think she's also worried about how her old friend- for lack of a better word- got roped into this mess," Zelgadis added. "If someone seemingly uninvolved in it is somehow a part of it, that means it must be bigger than we thought."

"Big enough to justify a Class A designation on the information?" Amelia asked.

"It seems so."

* * *

"Hey, uh... thanks a lot for the food. I'll pay you back when I have the means, I promise."

"Don't worry so much about it." Naga smiled as she watched Klaus working hard to scrub the last remnants of their dinner out of the pot. "It's nice having someone to clean up when eating outdoors. I should keep you around."

Klaus said nothing in reply. He didn't want to talk back to the one person he'd found who could lead him to his niece... or so she said. For all that Naga assured him they were on their way to Seyruun City, they seemed to be taking a circuitous route. That, coupled with the fact that she didn't want to stay in any towns and preferred to sleep outside, was beginning to test Klaus' nerves.

Weather could be unpredictable in the mountains of northern Seyruun, and the pair had set up camp earlier that day in a small alcove in one of the cliff face to escape from a sudden rain shower. The rain had tapered off in the last hour or so, but it was growing dark, and Naga had decided the time was best to settle in for the night. The atmosphere was thick with the chorale of insects and frogs reveling in the wet weather.

"Nice weather to be a duck, huh?" Klaus attempted to make pleasant conversation.

"I rather like this weather," Naga responded, not even bothering to turn around from her position where she could stare out at the mountain landscape around them. "It loans a certain characteristic calmness to the landscape. Colors are muted and the clutter of the world falls quiet for a time."

Shifting his weight awkwardly, Klaus tried again. "You're a pretty good poet."

"I was quoting my grandfather."

"Th-that's nice too. It's good to have something to remember loved ones by when they're gone."

"My grandfather is very much alive."

"...ah."

This whole 'pleasant conversation' thing didn't seem to be going very well. Klaus finished his cleaning and sat down beside Naga, deciding not to worry about pleasantries anymore.

"So, you've drilled me about my sister and her connections to these Mazoku. But what about you? Why are the Mazoku after you? Where do you come from, anyway?"

She considered his question for a moment with an expression of scrutiny on her face. "Where do I come from? Where does Naga the Serpent come from- is that what you're asking me?" Naga laughed loudly, causing the noise to reverberate through the cave. "Isn't that a loaded question! Are you really that interested in me? I'm honored, but I hate to inform you that you're really not my type."

"That's not- I mean, I don't care about that," Klaus stammered. "It's just that you're the one who's promised to help me rescue my niece. I want to know a little bit more about you."

"Well, first things first, I don't think we're really _rescuing_ your niece. Mazoku are terrible liars, and no matter what they say, the Lina Inverse I know would never use a child as a bargaining chip in a human-Mazoku conflict. And, from what I've heard of her partner, I'd say the same for him. It's very possible that _they_ were the ones trying to rescue her from the Mazoku's pawn."

"...me." Klaus cringed. "The problem is, I don't even know what happened. I only know what I've heard from other people. How am I supposed to make up for that?"

"I know all too well that you can't undo what's already been done. You can only focus on improving the situation that exists here and now. That's what you're doing, and I applaud that. But you have to remember that the damage is already done and can't be undone."

"Very motivational," Klaus commented through gritted teeth.

"The truth hurts, kid."

"Speaking of truth, you never did tell me yours. What's your story?"

"Ohoho, you're a perceptive brat, aren't you? Saw right through my subject change. Fair enough." Naga leaned back and closed her eyes. "The truth is, some years ago, Naga the Serpent- the world's most beautiful, talented sorceress- appeared to travel the world and grace its inhabitants with all she had to offer."

"Seriously."

"You don't believe that story? It's true." She turned her head away from him, speaking toward the wall instead. "There was a young woman named Gracia, who was the target of a hired assassin. The assassin wasn't very good at his job, however. He killed the wrong person by mistake, and was then killed by his would-be target. Suddenly it wasn't safe to be Gracia anymore. Naga the Serpent, therefore, was born."

"...I see. So that's how it is. Sorry." Klaus continued to look at her, hoping that at one point she'd turn back toward him. "I guess everyone has something that they regret doing. I shouldn't feel so sorry for myself when there are others who feel the same way."

"I wouldn't call it regret," Naga responded. "Things might not have turned out differently for Gracia if she had or hadn't killed him. It was what she _wasn't_ able to do that haunts her to this day- someone she wasn't able to save."

"I don't get it. From what my sister told me, I understand that assassins do an incredible amount of research on their targets. They make sure they know the person they're planning to kill inside and out. How could an assassin have killed the wrong person by mistake?"

Naga rested her head in one hand. "Gracia's mother was a very beautiful woman. When Gracia was young, many people commented on how much she looked like her mother. People claimed that they could be twins, how strong the resemblance was. It was Gracia's favorite compliment to hear. It made her so happy... until the day it didn't."

The rain outside the cave had started up again. Klaus stood up and walked back over to where the fire was beginning to die. He picked up a stick and stirred it again as he spoke. "If Gracia and Naga are two different people... which one is the real you?"

To his surprise, Naga laughed. "You're funny! How about this- the kind man who loves his sister and his niece, and the alcoholic who allowed himself to be used as a Mazoku pawn: which is the real you?"

"Me? Well, that's..." He hated to admit it, but she made a good point. "I suppose, as much as I'd like to deny it, they're both a part of me."

"See? You have your answer."

There wasn't much talking in the cave after that. It seemed like they'd both said too much, and needed some silence to make up for it.

* * *

There was a knock on the door of the tea room where Lina and Lizzie were sitting, preoccupying themselves with distractions from the situation they'd faced shortly before. Lina had procured a glass of water and a leftover pastry from breakfast for Lizzie to nibble on while she drew pictures. Lina herself wasn't hungry for once, but she'd finally shaken off most of the situation's anxiety.

"Hey- sorry I ran off so quickly. I was a little shaken up and Lizzie looked like she was going to cry, so I-" She cut off her sentence as she caught sight of a head of blond hair out the corner of her eye. "Oh. It's you."

"Yeah, it's me." Gourry answered in confusion. "Is something wrong with that?"

"No, no." Lina waved her hand dismissively as he sat next to her. "You can do whatever you want. Don't worry about telling me about it."

"...okay, well... I thought I'd update you on what's happening on our end." Gourry shifted his weight, glancing over at where Lizzie was obliviously scribbling away in Lina's notebook. He leaned over toward Lina so that he could lower his voice. "We found that one of Eliza's victims had his file moved to Class A designation."

"Class A?" Lina whispered back. "Isn't that the most secure classification for government information? No way!"

"Yes way." Gourry nodded. "But we can access it if we receive specific permission from the king, so Amelia's going now to ask her grandfather if he would-"

Lizzie scooted closer to Lina and leaned over in-between Lina and Gourry. "What are you whispering about?"

"Lizzie!" Gourry straightened up abruptly. "Don't jump in like that. We were just talking about something Mama and I want to read. It belongs to Amelia's grandfather, so we can't get to it, but if she asks nicely, he'll let us see it. Isn't that nice?"

Lizzie stared blankly at him. "I don't know how to read. Will you teach me?"

"Of course I will! But, uh, that's kind of a tall order all of a sudden. Why don't we-"

"Now that you're here, I'm going to go talk to Zel and Amelia." Lina stood up and moved toward the door. "You stay here with Lizzie- since you seem to _enjoy_ talking to her, after all."

Gourry watched her go in surprise. "…yeah, I do enjoy talking to her…" He glanced over at the girl, shrugging his shoulders. "What's her problem?"

* * *

"Hey, Zelgadis! There you are!"

Lina waved as she ran down the hall. Zelgadis stood up straighter and put a finger to his lips with one hand, motioning to the door with the other. "Shh. Amelia's talking to her grandfather. I don't want to disturb them."

"…ah. Sorry." Lina slowed down and took a place beside him, leaning against the wall. "Gourry told me about the file, and I had to come over. He's watching Lizzie now."

"Good." Zelgadis nodded. "The name on the file was _Archer_. I don't know if that name means anything to you- it doesn't to me."

"Well, I had once heard of an assassin by that name, but I think it might've been a character in a book."

"This is no fictional character." Zelgadis shook his head. "It's not unheard of for assassins to take the name of some well-known book character. But usually the similarities stop there."

Lina bit her lip as she thought it over. "But why would the criminal record of an assassin we've never heard of be placed in a classification like that? Was he affiliated with something they don't want us to know about? Is this a cover-up of some kind?"

"I don't know. It would've had to happen during Eldoran's reign, and he doesn't seem to me like the kind of person who'd-"

There was a distinct clamor in the other room that caught Lina off-guard. Two voices were yelling, one Amelia's and the other a man's voice. Eventually Amelia's voice took over, and the princess burst out of the room, her eyes wide and her face pale.

"…doctor… Call for a doctor!"

"What?" Lina stepped toward her. "Amelia, what happened-"

"I SAID, CALL FOR A DOCTOR!"

* * *

(A/N: Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get this chapter out on time. Lucky me to be proven wrong! On that note, I'll be hanging around Anime Weekend Atlanta tomorrow and Sunday, so if you're there, feel free to say hello. Look for me as Gourry!)


	10. Only Children and Fools Tell the Truth

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **10- Only Children and Fools Tell the Truth**

"Lizzie, Mama was acting kind of strangely earlier. You wouldn't know why, would you?"

Gourry watched Lizzie scribbling away in the notebook, creating all kinds of abstract shapes and designs on the paper. He couldn't help thinking that Lina's odd behavior could be attributed to more than just the Mazoku attack, and he wondered if perhaps Lizzie would know something about it. Lizzie stopped drawing and seemed to ponder his question before answering.

"No."

A very thoughtful answer, to be sure.

"You're sure you don't know? Did she say anything about being upset?" Gourry shifted closer to Lizzie and leaned over her shoulder to see her artwork. She waved a hand in his face to push him away.

"Don't look 'til it's done."

"Okay, okay. I won't. But what about Mama? What did she say?"

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I told her what it was that you told me, and I told her it was secret too."

"Wait, secret? What secret?" Gourry stiffened, a flash of panic running through his mind. "It wasn't what I said in the kitchen the other day, was it? The thing about marriage and stuff? That was-"

"I told her, I told her-" Lizzie raised one hand, interrupting. "-I told her about lots of stuff."

"But Lizzie, I told you _that_ stuff was a secret."

"That's what I told Mama. Shh. Secret."

Defeated, Gourry buried his face in his hands. "That's not how it works, Lizzie."

"That's what Mama said too." Lizzie nodded as she happily returned to her work, oblivious to Gourry's reaction. "Keep a secret, can't tell _anybody_."

"Exactly!"

"Ta-dah! It's done!" Lizzie turned around and showed Gourry the picture that she'd finished.

He couldn't make out exactly what it was… a bunch of triangles, maybe? Spiders with too many legs? A very hairy animal that filled up the page? "That's a really nice… uh…" He faltered with his words. It would be no good to insult her by incorrectly guessing what was on the page, but his mind was too muddled by the situation to fully comprehend the child's drawing. Thankfully, Lizzie was unfazed by his lack of comprehension.

"See, see, Mama's fighting the monster here- with big magic, boom- and then me and you are hiding here 'cause it's scary, and then in the corner is us at the end after the monster goes away and we're happy and have cake. Got it?"

Gourry saw none of the described events within the scribbles, but he figured it was probably something like that "abstract art" that he and Lina had seen in art galleries before and he just couldn't understand. Still, the sentiment behind the picture was something that made him happy. "Why are we hiding while Mama does all the work?"

"No, Mama said to hide, 'cause her magic is all over the place and she doesn't want us hurt."

"Oh, I see. You really thought this through." She was handing the notebook to him, so Gourry took it from her. "That's a… what… Burst Rondo?"

"What?" Lizzie laughed.

"Never mind. Mama will teach you about magic spells sometime in the future… maybe." Gourry's face fell as he mentioned the future, suddenly reminded of the secret that Lizzie had revealed. "The thing is, if Mama stays mad at me like this, we may not be able to stay together. That's why I asked you to keep the secret." He solemnly handed the journal back to Lizzie.

"Did I do something bad?" she asked, taking it back.

"No… it's not your fault. I'm the one who messed up everything. All you did was tell the truth."

Lizzie frowned. "But I thought telling secrets was bad."

"It is. Yes. But it's not your fault that Mama is mad at me. That's my doing."

Lizzie seemed somewhat dissatisfied with his answer. She stared at her feet as she responded. "You're gonna make her not-mad, right?"

"I don't know if I can."

"I'll help!" Lizzie had suddenly jumped up onto her chair, and Gourry had to reach over to make sure she didn't fall.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Lizzie, but… I think this is something I have to do on my own."

She looked over at him in concern. "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

* * *

By late afternoon, the sky had clouded over and begun to drop a light rain onto the countryside. The weather, along with the incident that had happened earlier with the king, didn't hamper the activity in the palace as workers milled about, trying to finish up the last of their duties before returning home for the evening. Lina had stayed by Philionel and Amelia, who moved to one of the large common rooms in order to talk over what had happened. Philionel was trying desperately to calm Amelia, who was understandably shaken up by the whole thing. Phil's reassurances of "it's not your fault" and "you heard what the doctor said; he'll be alright" seemed to be falling on deaf ears.

Lina was standing guard, since Zelgadis wanted to go check on something. It was easy to tell the kind of answer that Eldoran had given Amelia- a vehement enough "no" that he worked himself up close to the breaking point. Lina, who'd never had much experience with the ailing and elderly, didn't know what to say. She simply sat a short distance from where Phil and his daughter were, watching the scene in concern. It was agreed that Eldoran would be alright, but even so, the fear that Amelia had felt and the anxiety the encounter had stirred up made Lina's anger at Gourry seem so petty.

"Lina?"

She looked up to see Zelgadis standing beside her chair, a thin folder and an envelope clutched in one hand. "Zel! Oh, thank goodness." Lina stood up and pointed over to where the prince and princess were seated. "Amelia will be so happy to see you-"

"Wait." Zelgadis grabbed her wrist with his free hand. "I want to talk to you first."

"Me?"

"Sit back down for a minute or two. I want to discuss this with you before I take it to Prince Phil and Amelia." Zelgadis sat down in one of the chairs across the small table from Lina. She glanced nervously over to where Phil and Amelia were, but they hadn't seemed to take notice of Zelgadis' return, so she turned back to him and nodded.

"What is it?"

"I started going through the criminal records again to see if I could find any others that had been moved to Class A."

"I take it you found one? Another Mazoku conspirator, perhaps?"

"Not that I knew…" Zelgadis shook his head and passed the folder over to Lina. "What do you know about the murder of Princess Sophia?"

"Philionel's wife, you mean?" Lina accepted the folder and glanced over it. As soon as Zelgadis had mentioned the late princess, one name had come to mind, and Lina was unsurprised to find that name written over the top of the file. "Booley. He's the one who murdered her. Don't tell me that he- why would _his_ file be moved? Wasn't that a closed case? He tried to murder Gracia, murdered her mother instead, and got killed."

"Killing Princess Gracia was supposed to be an attempt from a source outside the government to destabilize the monarchy in preparation for a grab at the throne. That's what I was always told." Zelgadis nodded his head. "Because Booley was killed in the attempt, it was never discovered who hired him. Many high-ranking officials in Seyruun came under fire for their potential connection with the assassin, but the official ruling declared that it was outside government influence, so no evidence was ever found linking any of them to the case."

"So why the classification…?" Lina opened the file and glanced over it. "Do you have Archer's file? I think this may be the same handwriting-"

"It is. The same person wrote both the notifications, meaning that, at the very least, the information in both files was classified at the same time."

"You think there might be a connection?"

"It's hard to say. Besides being a famed assassin, not much was known about Booley- how he worked or who he worked for. His death meant that he took his secrets to his grave. No one would've known about him except for his victims…" Zelgadis placed the envelope on the table. "…and, perhaps, his killer."

"This is a letter for the king, from Gracia." Lina snatched up the envelope. "Where'd you get this?"

"It came in the mail today. Amelia was worried about what secrets her grandfather and sister might be keeping from her, so she put in a request that an employee of the palace screen her, her father's, and her grandfather's incoming mail."

Lina raised an eyebrow. "She _officially_ asked you to snoop in her grandfather's mail?"

"Her conscience got the better of her, and she decided she wanted someone else to do it." Zelgadis took the envelope back from her. "I'm a little worried- this is the only letter that came in from Gracia today. Normally we receive letters for Amelia, Philionel, and Eldoran all at once."

"Do you think that Gracia and Eldoran know something more about Sophia's death than Amelia and Phil do?"

"It's possible. My worry is that she knows who hired Booley, and that person had found out that she knows. It could put her in grave danger." Zelgadis turned to place the letter in the bag he had slung over his shoulder. "I'll open that later, in a private place where there's not so many people around. I wanted to talk to you to get your opinion on whether or not I should tell Amelia and Philionel about Booley's file."

Lina glanced uneasily over at the prince and his daughter. He had pulled out a large book, and the two were looking through it, appearing to be pointing out pictures or bits of text. It was the first time Lina had seen Amelia smile that afternoon, and it was comforting to see. She hated to think of Amelia's smile being shattered again by the mention of her mother's death."

"Maybe… you should wait a while. See what Gracia's letter says and then decide. I'd hate to bother them right now."

"That sounds about right. But speaking of being bothered…" Zelgadis leaned in a little closer. "…you seem to have been in a pretty foul mood since this morning. I'd say it's because of the Mazoku attack, but it doesn't feel that much like a Mazoku-attack kind of foul mood."

Lina gave a scornful laugh. "And you're some kind of expert on foul moods?"

"I am. You doubt my credentials?"

"…oops. I forgot who I was talking to." Lina rolled her eyes. "If you must know, I'm angry with Gourry."

"Ah. What did he do this time?"

Lina glanced around before answering. "Can you keep a secret? Oh- what am I asking? Of course you can! You're not _five years old_."

Zelgadis stared in confusion. "Does this have something to do with Lizzie?"

With a defeated sigh, Lina rested her head in one hand. When she finally did speak, her voice was much lower, taking advantage of Zelgadis' sharp hearing to keep nosy passersby from picking up on the conversation. "Gourry said that he wanted to marry me. _Marriage-_ can you believe that?"

To her surprise, however, Zelgadis was unfazed. Were Gourry's feelings that obvious?

"What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything. I didn't get a _chance_ to say anything. He told Lizzie, and then told her not to tell me!" Lina had obviously stopped caring about the volume of her voice. "Can you believe that guy? Not to tell me something so important! He promised me- I made him promise that he'd tell me if there was someone in his life he cared for like that. Gourry _looked me in the eye and promised_. And now he goes and does something like this!"

"So…" Zelgadis frowned and stuck out his bottom lip the way he did when he was thinking hard about something. "…you're not upset about _what_ he said, you're just upset that he didn't tell you."

"Yes."

"So, if he did ask you to marry him, what would you say?"

"That's kind of a moot point, since he _didn't_. Lizzie said he thinks I don't reciprocate his feelings."

"He said so to Amelia and me as well. Have you given him reason to think that?"

That question gave Lina pause for a moment. "…I've never said anything to that effect."

"You don't have to _say_ things to Gourry. He's very in-tune to reactions and body language," Zelgadis replied. "I didn't ask you if you _said_ you didn't love him, I asked if you had given him reason to believe so."

"I…" Lina looked down at the table, going over things in her mind. Now that she thought about it, Gourry had given a lot of hints about the way he felt. And how did she respond? Not positively, that's for sure. "…I may have responded poorly to some of his casual flirting. He was being silly and annoying, and I didn't think it mattered that much. But still, I'd have hoped he'd be honest with me anyway."

"Why would he confess his feelings if he knew he was going to get rejected anyway?" Zelgadis shrugged his shoulders. "That's just asking for trouble."

Lina crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward to rest her chin on them. "So what? Are you telling me that I have no reason to be mad at him?"

"No. You're perfectly justified to be unhappy about your best friend keeping a secret from you. But you need to understand that he had his reasons too before you blow up at him."

"I suppose…"

"Miss Lina? Is everything alright? I heard you yelling."

Lina jumped at the sound of Amelia's voice behind her. She and Zelgadis both reached for the file folder on the desk at the same time, but Zelgadis got to it first and pulled it over to his side of the table.

"S-sorry about that. I was yelling 'cause I'm angry at Gourry right now. I should be talking things through with him instead of venting like this. We'll work it out."

"That's a relief. I had a feeling you were upset about something earlier, but I couldn't tell what." Amelia glanced over to Zelgadis. "What was that?"

"The folder? I'll talk to you about it later." Zelgadis waved one hand. "Where did your dad go?"

"He went to go check on Grandfather."

Zelgadis gave a nod and picked up the envelope he'd been showing to Lina. "Well, your grandfather received a letter from your sister today. As per your request, I'm going to look it over for anything suspicious or that I think might put him or you in danger."

"You guys can take care of that," Lina waved to them, gathering her own things and pointing toward the staircase. "There are some things that I need to discuss with Gourry. Last time I saw him, he was watching Lizzie in the tea room in the south wing. If you need to track us down for any reason, look there first."

"Thank you for everything this evening, Miss Lina." Amelia waved back. "We'll find you if something else happens."

" _When_ something else happens." Zelgadis corrected.

* * *

Lina gave a little knock on the door before she pushed it open. "Gourry? Lizzie? Are you two still here…?"

She already knew what the answer would be, however. She could hear Gourry snoring from down the hall and wondered how he'd fallen asleep at this time of day. It was obvious, however, once she walked in the room and caught sight of the large sofa sitting in one corner. Gourry was stretched out along the length of the sofa wish his head resting against the arm and a children's book turned over in his hands. Lizzie was curled up against his chest as though she'd been looking at the pictures as he read to her, but she was also fast asleep.

All the anger Lina still had against Gourry after her discussion with Zelgadis suddenly melted away. She found herself reaching over and taking the book from Gourry's hands- gently enough not to disturb either of them, of course. Once she was sure that they were still sound asleep, she tugged the blanket off the back of the sofa and placed it over them.

Gourry had been taking the "pretend to be Lizzie's father" idea a little too far, it seemed. Lina wanted to scold him, but she couldn't deny getting too comfortable in her role as "mama" as well. How had this happened? All she'd wanted to do was find out what was going on with the mysterious potions and save a little girl from further harm. Instead, she and Gourry might've uncovered a serious government cover-up _and_ become parents… all while Gourry still thought she didn't love him.

"We can never do anything simply, can we?" Lina murmured. She got up and kissed Gourry on the top of his head, the way he'd done for her a few times before. He didn't stir, so she decided that the best thing to do would be to seek out Zelgadis and Amelia and find out what was going on. She left the room and started down the hallway, not totally paying attention to where she was going, and nearly blundered into Amelia.

"H-hey!" Lina exclaimed. "Sorry about that! I wasn't looking where I was- …Amelia? Are you okay?"

The last time Lina had seen Amelia, it had seemed as though the princess had calmed down. Now all of a sudden she was pale and wide-eyed again.

"Miss Lina, you need to come to the conference room with me."

"Why? What's going on? Is it about your sister?"

"Yes," Amelia reached out and grabbed Lina's hand, surprising Lina with her firm grip. "but it's also about you."


	11. Thick as Thieves

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **11- Thick as Thieves**

Zelgadis was pacing back and forth in the conference room when Lina and Amelia arrived. He'd opened the window to the courtyard, and the din of insects almost overpowered the sound of his footsteps on the tile floor. He turned to greet the girls as they entered, but it wasn't a friendly greeting.

"Where are Lizzie and Gourry?"

"They're asleep in the tea room," Lina answered. "I thought I should leave them there- Gourry was reading to her, and they both fell asleep, so it seemed like it would be rude to wake them up. Is something wrong?"

"We're not completely sure," Zelgadis answered curtly. "In the meantime, I need to ask about your friend- Naga the Serpent."

"Huh?" Lina blinked. "Naga? I thought this was about Gracia and me."

"Can you just give us a physical description?"

"Well…" Lina was confused by the whole deal, and felt a little threatened by Zelgadis' insistence, but thought it through and began answering anyway. "Naga was very tall. Nearly as tall as Gourry, if you can imagine it. And she was… uh… well-endowed, I guess you could say. Blue eyes, long, dark hair… her skin was pretty pale too. Lighter than mine, if you can imagine that too. And she-"

"I've heard enough." It was Amelia who interrupted her.

"What? Already?"

Amelia ignored the question and responded with a question of her own. "This may sound odd, but what about her laugh? Did you ever hear her laugh?"

"It was very _unique_. Yes."

"That's a very nice way to put it," Zelgadis spoke up, but Amelia cleared her throat, and he stopped, looking away with a slight blush.

"I suppose I should've been suspicious the moment you spoke of her… Naga is not a common name, and yet I just couldn't imagine Gracia using any other name, especially since she was named for our grandmother-" Amelia stopped short realizing that she was dancing around the issue. "Naga the Serpent is my sister."

For a long moment, Lina couldn't answer. She was dumbstruck by Amelia's response. "…you're joking, right? _Naga_ , a princess? And your sister, no less?"

"It doesn't make sense to me either, but there's no other conclusion I can draw." Amelia shook her head solemnly. "The letter that was sent to my grandfather had Gracia's name on the envelope, but the letter itself was signed Naga the Serpent. On top of that, your description fits Gracia perfectly. There's no way it could be a coincidence- not with all this."

"But Naga… she would've told me something like that!" Lina protested. "Besides, there's no way she was royalty! She had no money; she was broke half the time I knew her."

"Dad offers to give Gracia a stipend, but she doesn't use it most of the time. She said that she prefers to make money on her own, and relies on her family only for emergencies."

"But… but… she could've… she would have said… I would've thought…" Lina buried her face in her hands. "This is absurd! Gourry's recent lies are forgivable, but _this_ … I know we didn't see eye to eye all the time, and sometimes our interactions were less than friendly, but I thought we were close enough that she could… be honest with me about that sort of thing."

"It's not just you, Miss Lina. She also kept it from Dad and me," Amelia murmured. "If that's the case, she must have had a good reason for keeping her two identities separate."

"That's what I was thinking." Zelgadis nodded his head. "If Gracia was in danger, it would make sense that she would invent a new identity to protect herself. The fact that she wouldn't even tell the secret to her family or lover would have to mean that whatever danger she was in, it was serious."

Lina flinched at the word "lover," but was too distracted by the situation to correct him. "If she wrote to her grandfather with her fake name, though, then he must know exactly what situation would have led to her changing her name. Maybe that's the reason he didn't want us to look into the classified file."

"But the file didn't have anything to do with Gracia- or so I thought," Amelia protested. "It was about Lizzie."

"Well, Gracia obviously has a connection to Lizzie somehow. The Mazoku that attacked this morning spoke about her, and she mentioned Lizzie in her letter."

"She mentioned Lizzie?" Lina choked. "What did she say?"

"She just said…" Zelgadis unfolded the piece of paper that had been gripped firmly in one hand this whole time. " _Make sure that Lina Inverse and Lizzie Abbey do not leave Seyruun City. More information to follow_."

"That's it? More information to follow? What's that supposed to mean?" Lina grabbed for the letter, but Zelgadis pulled it away.

"Generally, when someone says 'more information to follow,' it means that their next letter will contain more inform-"

"I _know_ that! But why?"

"It's possible that she was pressed for time. Something might've been happening and she didn't have the time to take to write a long letter."

Amelia reached out for the letter this time, and Zelgadis handed it over with some hesitance. "I'm going to go talk to Dad. He went to check on Grandfather, so he might have more information… and I know he'll want to hear this."

Lina and Zelgadis watched her go, and Lina took a seat at the table, crossing her arms. "There are still so many questions. Standing around and talking about it isn't going to do anything. I want to know what's in that file that Amelia's grandfather was so staunchly against."

"Yes, but it's impossible to get access now. Eldoran is in no condition to give permission." Zelgadis paused. "You're not… thinking what I'm thinking, are you?"

Lina frowned and tapped her finger against the table as she thought. "If we got caught, we could be charged with crimes against the state- even treason."

"Yes. _If_ we got caught."

"You think we could really do it?"

"You think we couldn't?"

Lina thought it over for a moment. "We are some of the best in the world at sneaking around places. You have a lot of experience, I would assume."

"Naturally."

"But how would we get into the classified records room? Don't they have a pretty heavy-duty lock on it?" Lina stood up and began pacing as well, her hands moving around as she thought out loud. "We could never find the magical spell necessary to unlock a lock like that- well, we probably could, but it would take too long. I wonder what other ways there would be to get into it. It's an interior room, so a window is out of the question, plus that would be too conspicuous anyway. There's always the potential for tunneling into it, since it's on the ground floor, but a tunnel would be too easy to trace. We have to be in and out without anyone knowing that we were even there. Perhaps there's some sort of ventilation- an interior room would require non-magical lighting of some sort, which would require ventilation for the smoke-"

"I recently helped with some work repairing some blocked ventilation on another floor of that building. The paper detailing the layout of the ventilation is still with my belongings, if you'd like to take a look."

"I can also dig out a spellbook I have with some spells for sound manipulation. That way no one can hear us poking around in the ventilation."

"The folder itself shouldn't be too hard to find. Depending on how much information is in it, I'd give us thirty minutes to an hour in order to read through it. That's not too long to be in there if we time everything correctly."

"We wouldn't just grab the folder and take it with us?"

"That's too risky. We could be caught with it. One of us could, however, bring a notebook and copy down important information to refer to later."

There was a long pause. Lina and Zelgadis stared at one another for a long moment before either finally spoke.

"…we're really doing this, aren't we?" Lina murmured.

Zelgadis sighed, not answering her question directly. "You can go talk to Gourry if you want, and put Lizzie to bed. Meet me in two hours back at this conference room, and we'll proceed from here."

"Are you going to tell Amelia?"

"No. She'd be against it."

"Right. Of course." Lina nodded, and then stopped. "Why aren't we against this?"

Zelgadis smiled. "That's a good question."

* * *

"Gourry?" Lina leaned over the back of the sofa and gently brushed his hair out of his face. "Gourry, wake up. You really shouldn't sleep all night here."

It took a moment for Gourry to respond, but when he did, he nearly jumped, and that caused Lizzie to cry out. It was only briefly, and she gathered her composure again, sliding off Gourry's chest and walking over to the table where Lina's notebook was.

"Sorry. I guess we fell asleep while I was reading." Gourry sat up, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"It's no problem. It's been a long and confusing day. If you're that tired, you should go to bed."

"Yeah. I will. Are you coming, or…?" He stopped himself abruptly. If she was angry with him, would she be willing to sleep beside him- even for Lizzie's sake?

"I have some further responsibilities to attend to tonight. You and Lizzie make yourselves comfortable and I'll join you later."

"Oh, okay. Later." Gourry nodded, still half-asleep. Lina seemed to have calmed down at least a little. It was enough to hear that she planned to join them. He reached out to take Lizzie's hand, and led her out of the tea room with a friendly wave in Lina's direction. "G'night, Lina. See you later."

"G'night, Mama! See you later!" Lizzie mimicked Gourry's speech and gesture, adding a smile to it as well. Lina couldn't help but smile back as she waved. Something tugged at the back of her mind, reminding her that she was about to do something that could get her in serious trouble. She still hadn't set things right with Gourry, and they had a future with Lizzie to consider on top of that. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to be sneaking around the palace, after all…

Lina shook her head to get rid of her own nagging thoughts.

No. The decision had already been made. It _had_ to be- the safety of all of them might hang in the balance.

* * *

Lina blinked in confusion as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. Zelgadis had created a very small lighting spell, using less than half the magical energy than usually would be for such a spell. He hadn't wanted to draw attention to them accidentally if someone were to sense magical energy coming from the room. Unfortunately, that meant that it was difficult to see what was around them, and Lina tried to stick close to her friend to avoid running into anything accidentally.

"I'm guessing that the file will be in one of these cabinets over here," Zelgadis motioned across from them.

"Okay." Lina nodded. "You hold the light over it, and I'll search for-"

"Stop."

"Huh?"

"Stop. Do you hear that?"

The two paused. Lina hadn't heard it until Zelgadis pointed it out, but there was a very specific sound coming from the ventilation where they'd just emerged. Lina tensed up, prepared to cast a spell, but a startled noise from inside the ventilation caused here immediately to relax.

"L-Lizzie?"

"…Mama? It's dark in here-"

"Shh!" Lina jumped over and placed her hand over the girl's mouth. "What are you doing?" she whispered. "I thought you and Papa were asleep."

"I couldn't sleep," Lizzie whispered back. "I wanna draw but I couldn't find the notebook… I 'member that you took it, so…"

Lina groaned. Of course the silencing spell she'd used made it impossible to realize that the girl was following them through the ventilation shafts. "Lizzie, you can't be here. This is dangerous. We won't be here long, so please, just be quiet and don't touch anything."

"How long?"

"Not long. Be quiet."

"Lina, I found Archer's folder. I'll let you take a look at it while I look for Booley."

"Thanks." Lina turned back to Lizzie. "Please, _quiet_. Don't touch anything."

Lizzie nodded, but she still stayed close to Lina for a while before giving her some space. In the meantime, Lina created a small _lighting_ spell of her own and sat down at the table in the middle of the room to scan through the file. It was just like all the other criminal records that she'd looked over before- pertinent information about the criminal and their victims. But as she went through the information, she stumbled across a piece that should have surprised her- but, because of what Zelgadis had told her, there was no surprise at all.

"Hey, Zel? There's a whole report here on what is known about Archer's involvement with Mazoku. It's about him and several allies of these Mazoku with notes to find their own criminal records. One of the allies mentioned is Booley."

"Is it this same report?" Zelgadis pulled a piece of paper out of his own file. Even in the dim light, Lina could tell it was identical to the report that she had.

"Yeah. It's the same."

"So Archer and Booley- along with several other humans- were all working for the same Mazoku. What does that mean, exactly?"

"There's also a report here that was written about…" Zelgadis' voice trailed off. "This is odd. I've already read a report on this event, but this is different. I thought… the official report on Princess Sophia's murder was already declassified."

"Let me see." Lina approached Zelgadis and leaned in closer, causing some of the pages in her own file to become disheveled. She moved to organize them again, but one piece of paper caught her eye. "Hey, this is a copy of the one you have there. Why would there be a report on Princess Sophia's murder in Archer's…?"

Lina's gaze shot up and she caught Zelgadis' eyes in horror. He reached out and took the copy of the report from Lina.

"If… if there was another assassin involved in the princess' death, what was he doing? Why has it been kept a secret?"


	12. Stand to Reason

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **12- Stand to Reason**

Lina and Zelgadis pored over the report, taking in every gruesome detail with solemn silence. It was concise, and so it was easy to read over multiple times. However, it was difficult to take in just how much information could be written on one page of paper.

"Archer wasn't supposed to kill anyone," Lina finally spoke. "His part of the job was to plant evidence that would frame some member of the royal court- does it say who, exactly?"

"It doesn't. I think he was just trying to make it look like _someone_ in the royal court had done the murder, that way there would be fighting amongst the ruling government as the witch-hunt to find the culprit went on. It was an act meant to divide and destabilize the government."

"But why, then, did Archer abandon his mission…?"

"Isn't it obvious? When Gracia killed Booley, it meant that they couldn't frame anyone else for the killing. There was a body- the body of a famed assassin, no less. Archer had two options in such a case- easiest one being to abandon his post and save himself."

Lina nodded her head. "He _could've_ gone to retrieve Booley's body and kill Gracia, but that would've been too risky."

"Right. But it seems odd that the Mazoku would have wanted to frame a human for a crime they organized."

"It does, but by sacrificing their egos for that one moment, they could have achieved a much greater goal." Lina frowned as she scanned the report for what must have been the twentieth time. "The internal strife of such an event would have brought the ruling government to their knees. If they thought there was a traitor in their midst when there really wasn't and everyone professed that they hadn't done it, then a war might break out over who was lying and who was telling the truth. Officials would take sides, factions would form, conspiracy theories would abound, and citizens might even begin to revolt. The entire White Magic Kingdom as we know it could have been destroyed by this single event."

Zelgadis clenched his teeth in frustration and took a deep breath to prepare to say something else, but was cut off before he could. Lina had felt a tug on her cloak, and looked down to see Lizzie vying for her attention.

"What do you need?"

"It's cold in here."

Lina sighed and pulled off her cloak so that she could wrap it around the girl's shoulders. "There. Is that better?"

"Yes. Can I have the book?"

"The notebook you were drawing in before?" Lina picked it up off the table and showed it to Lizzie to get the girl's approval. "That's fine- I don't think I need to write anything down. Just be careful with it."

"Okay!"

Satisfied, Lizzie shuffled back over to a dark corner of the room to occupy herself while Lina and Zelgadis worked. Lina had to admit, it was a relief that the girl was so well-behaved. The moment she found out that Lizzie had followed them, she had feared the worst, but Lizzie was actually being very quiet. Perhaps it was a sign that the child's disobedient streak was coming to an end.

"I can understand, then, why they would want to keep this a secret from the general population," Zelgadis continued once he was sure that Lina's attention had turned back to their conversation. "With Seyruun's reputation as the capitol of White Magic, there could be uproars if they found that a member of the royal family had been murdered by Mazoku conspirators- even if the overall intent of the assassination had been thwarted."

"That's true."

"And Eldoran had a personal reason to keep it covered- protecting his son. Philionel had just taken over as the proxy ruler when this happened, and he was still new to the position. If word had gotten out about what had really happened, people might have started saying that Phil wasn't fit to rule. Not only might people have opposed the royal family entirely, but those supporting Christopher and Randionel would have fought hard for either of Phil's brothers to take the throne instead."

Lina tapped her fingers against the table impatiently. "By explaining it as an _outside_ grab for the throne rather than the internal conflict that the Mazoku were going for, the ruling government actually grew stronger because of it. They saw the need to band together in order to protect their authority and show the citizens that those in power had the proper credentials to be there. Instead of fighting amongst each other Christopher and Randy had to show their support for Phil to keep the citizens at ease."

"All in all, it could have been so much worse than just the murder of the princess."

"That's an understatement."

The two were silent for a moment, taking everything in. "…this also explains the common thread between Gracia- Naga- and Lizzie." Zelgadis finally stated. "Gracia killed Booley and Lizzie's mother, Eliza, killed Archer. If the two humans were both loyal to the same Mazoku, the same Mazoku would be seeking revenge for the situation."

Lina shivered. "Let's get out of here. Once we're somewhere safer, we can discuss what we want to do about this. It's a little much to take in at once."

"Fair enough."

"Lizzie? C'mon. Let's go- you really need to be in bed." Lina feared for a moment that the girl had gotten lost somewhere in the expanse of bookshelves and file cabinets, but at the sound of Lina's voice, Lizzie appeared with the cloak wrapped around the notebook she was carrying. Lina insisted that Lizzie go ahead of them so that they knew where she was, and once they had safely covered their tracks back into the public part of the building, Lina sent her off to bed.

"Is it alright to let her keep your notebook?"

"It's fine. I didn't write anything in it tonight, and if they can find anything incriminating in a five-year-old's scribbles, I'd be amazed." Lina pointed to the door. "Do you want to go talk this over somewhere else? Maybe get some coffee, or-"

"If you're tired, you should get some sleep." Zelgadis cut her off. "This seems like something we should sleep on."

"No, this is something we should discuss to find what our best plan of action should be," Lina responded. " _Then_ we'll sleep on it."

* * *

After several hours and five-and-a-half cups of coffee between them, they still couldn't agree on the best plan of action.

"Did you not read Gracia's letter? _She's_ the one who knows these Mazoku far better than we do! There's no reason for you to-"

"I told you, Naga was writing about keeping Lizzie and me safe, and I'm not worried about my safety! If we don't provoke an attack, the Mazoku are just going to keep toying with us, and that's way less safe than just fighting them outright-"

"She was writing about _everyone's_ safety, Lina. There's no telling what could happen if you leave the city-"

"How do you know?! You've never met her! Those two sentences could be interpreted so many different ways-"

"Well, you think that, after all these years, _you're_ still so intimately connected that you could understand the subtext behind her words?"

"Better than you could!"

"You're being irrational."

"You're being stubborn!"

"I _have_ to be stubborn. As a knight, it's my duty to keep the people safe. I can't have you running off and inviting some sort of"

"I _TOLD_ you, that's not going to-" "Don't interrupt me when I'm-" "-happen; my intention is to fight the bastards who've been chasing us-" "-trying to talk some sense into your stubborn head-" "-and make it safe to live our lives-" "-while you're plotting to get people killed-"

"WHAT IS ALL THE YELLING ABOUT?!"

The room immediately fell quiet.

"Amelia? What are you doing here?" Zelgadis finally ventured. "It's-"

"I could easily as you two the same thing. I know there's been a security breach, but yelling about it at three o'clock in the morning isn't going to do anything but disturb others." Amelia gestured at the door. "People can hear you down the hall, you know. At least that helped me _find_ you guys."

Lina glanced around uneasily. "Security breach? When was this?"

"Wasn't that what you were yelling about? A book of classified information outlining the government's plans for emergency situations was stolen from the A level classification room. There was no sign of a break-in, so we're considering the possibility that it was an inside job. What were you two so angry over…?"

Lina and Zelgadis glanced at one another. "...an emergency plan?" Lina asked. "Who would steal something like that?"

"An enemy of the country could gain a lot by examining Seyruun's emergency procedures. It would be easy to cripple a government if you know exactly how they'll respond to an emergency situation."

"But who would steal it _right now_? Amelia, when did this happen?"

Amelia was wringing her hands, an expression of unease on her face. "It was sometime in the past twelve hours, we know, because inventory was taken yesterday evening after grandfather's episode."

"That's impossible." Zelgadis shook his head. "If someone else had been in there, wouldn't we have seen them?"

"They could've been in and out before we were there," Lina ventured. "but we would've-"

"Wait a minute." Amelia waved her hands. "When were you two given access to that classification level? I was with Grandfather all evening, and he hasn't given anyone else the authority to grant access. How did you two…?" She stopped talking as a look a realization passed over her face. "...you didn't…"

"W-we didn't take the book!" Lina interrupted. "I swear, we didn't take anything! You said there was no sign of a break-in, right? Obviously we didn't leave any trace of-"

Zelgadis stepped in front of Lina to cut her off. She pouted at the rude gesture, but he had his back turned to her and didn't notice. "How did you discover that the book was missing?"

"One of grandfather's trusted advisors- one who has access to the A classification- was with him a few hours ago and began to fear that his condition was changing. I guess, fearing the worst, he was seeking guidance on the situation, and…"

"How is your grandfather now?" Lina broke in as she heard Amelia's sentence trail off.

"Better. Just before I came here, the doctors assured me that he'd be alright. His advisor was acting out of paranoia. But that doesn't change the fact that the book is missing. Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into if anyone knew that you were there? What did you two do?"

"I'll explain everything, I promise-" Zelgadis reached out for her, but Amelia sidestepped him, for once being the one to turn down a display of affection. "-but what I'm worried about is that book. If it's missing, that means there had to have been someone else in that room."

"You know…" Lina reached out and tugged on the edge of his cloak. "...there _was_."

He stopped immediately and stared at her, his eyes widening. "You don't mean-"

"I wasn't paying any attention to her. I know she was being quiet, but I have no idea whether or not she was poking around the bookshelves or drawers. If the book was a similar size to my notebook, she could've carried them out together and I wouldn't have noticed. Remember how she wrapped the notebook in my cloak?"

"But why would she take _that_ book?"

"She probably didn't have any idea what it meant. She can't read yet. Maybe she just-"

" _Wait, wait_." Amelia stepped in between the two. "You're telling me that _not only_ did the two of you sneak into a restricted government area after the reigning monarch denied you access, but you took _Lizzie_ with you?!"

"We didn't do it on purpose! She snuck in with us- there's no way I would've let her follow us if I'd known!"

"Miss Lina, that's no excuse!"

"Well, what do you expect me to do in that situation? What would you do if you were sneaking into a restricted area and found out _after the fact_ that your daughter had followed you?!"

"I wouldn't have snuck into a restricted area in the first pla-" Amelia stopped abruptly as she caught Lina's wording. She stepped back a moment and sighed. "...I wouldn't have snuck into a restricted area in the first place," she repeated firmly, "especially not if I had a daughter to worry about."

Lina turned toward the door, accepting Amelia's last statement as the end of the conversation. "I'm going to go check on Lizzie. If she _does_ have the book, what do you want me to do with it?"

"Don't let anyone see it." Amelia moved to grab hold of Zelgadis' arm. "Zelgadis and I will be in the conference room on the third floor of the east wing, meeting with my father. Zelgadis will tell him _everything_ , won't you?" The glare that she gave him was enough to convince anyone to follow her orders, not that he was going to protest.

"Yes, Amelia." Zelgadis hung his head. Amelia had every right to be angry with them, and with her already in a foul mood as it was, he hated to tell her what they'd found. But, unfortunately, he wouldn't dare keep secrets. Not now.

* * *

Lina cursed under her breath as she walked down the hallway. All this commotion in the palace, and that stupid Gourry was still sleeping like nothing was going on. She knew she really shouldn't be berating him for it- it was Lizzie she was upset with, and the fact that the girl was not in bed like she said she'd be didn't help Lina's mood.

Lina had a hunch as to where the girl might be, however, and sure enough, when she entered the tea room they'd been using earlier that day, there was Lizzie, drawing away in Lina's notebook like nothing was going on.

"Mama!" she turned her head and greeted Lina with a smile. "Look-look-look! I drew a picture of you with the-"

"Lizzie, what is _this_?"

Lina didn't even wait to hear the girl's explanation of her picture. Almost as soon as she'd walked in, she'd spotted a manual with a bright yellow cover sitting on the sofa beside Lizzie. She walked closer and grabbed both the manual and the girl's arm. Lizzie's eye widened at Lina's touch, but she didn't appear fearful.

"It's a book."

"You took this from the room we were in with Zelgadis, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything?"

"Yes."

"So why did you take it?!"

Lizzie didn't answer the question. She looked away. "...did I do something bad?"

The question baffled Lina. What was she asking? Wasn't that obvious? " _Yes_ , you did something _very_ bad! This book could get us in _big_ trouble! What were you thinking?"

Lizzie didn't answer and kept her head turned away. Lina was getting frustrated, and she couldn't help expressing it.

"I don't understand! It feels like you're deliberately doing this. Biting people after all the times I've told you not to, telling secrets, following Zelgadis and me to a dangerous place and then deliberately disobeying my orders… I don't know what to do. I don't know what I _can_ do. _Why_ , Lizzie? I want to help you, and I _could_ help you if I just knew _why_."

The room was silent for a moment. Lizzie sniffled, and Lina dropped her grip on the girl's arm to give her some space. Eventually she spoke up, and when she did, Lina was surprised by what she heard.

"I… I _hafta_ do bad stuff."

"Why?"

"Because… because… I heard you say..." Lizzie was crying openly by this point. "...if I'm good, then you and Papa are gonna give me away to a new family."

It was the first time Lina had seen Lizzie cry and not moved to comfort her. She was too stunned to reply at first.

"You… when did you hear me say that?"

"Th-that night… when you were talking to Miss Amelia and you said you were worried 'cause I was being bad…" Lizzie was slowly regaining her composure as she spoke. "I'll do bad things forever! I'll be bad as long as I have to if it means I can stay with Mama and Papa!"

"...Lizzie…"

Lina felt oddly defeated. She remembered finding Lizzie on the other side of the door when she'd finished her conversation with Amelia, but she couldn't have imagined that the girl had been listening to the conversation. It wasn't Lizzie's fault, but in a way, Lina felt betrayed. The girl had so easily spilled Gourry's secret, Lina believed that there was nothing that Lizzie could keep from them. Realizing that her honesty was part of a greater deception was… well, Lizzie didn't _mean_ to deceive them, but the effect was still the same. Lina was hurt. She was tired of secrets.

"If you had told me, I would've understood. If you'd told me, we could've worked something out. But now-" Lina picked up the manual. "-now I could in _really_ big trouble because of this. If I get charged with treason, I'll _never_ be able to stay with you and Papa. You'll never see me again. Is that what you want?"

Lizzie didn't answer verbally. She turned around and curled up in the corner of the sofa with her head against the armrest, gripping a pillow tightly. Lina, seeing that the girl had nothing else to offer in the conversation, wrapped up the manual in her cloak and left the room. She needed some time to cool off.

It would be only a few minutes before regret from how harsh she'd been began to set in.


	13. Cut and Run

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **13- Cut and Run**

"There you are, Lady Lina! Did you find the book?"

Philionel was the first to greet Lina when she arrived in the room. Amelia was sitting next to him with her head bowed so that her face wasn't visible, and Zelgadis was across the table from them with a particularly stern expression. It seemed that the conversation had not gone well.

"Yes. Lizzie had it. You don't have to worry about some mysterious stranger sneaking into the area; it was just Zel and me." She unwrapped the book and placed it on the table with a sigh of resignation. "So… what's our fate now?"

Philionel took the book and flipped through a few pages just to make sure there wasn't any damage. "As you heard, there was no sign of your break-in. We have no evidence that you or Zelgadis were in the room. Unless you confessed, any charges against you might not stand up in-"

"Wait a sec! You're not letting us off the hook, are you?"

"I don't like the idea of excusing such things. However, I also don't like being lied to, especially by the people I trust most. You and Zelgadis had no malicious intent. All you wanted was the truth." Phil sighed sadly. The lines in his face seemed to indicate grief more than anything else. "It was not just my father; many people were involved in this cover-up, from those who studied the incident to those who wrote the report. A large number of people were involved in keeping important information from the country's proxy ruler, and while I won't fault them on following official orders from the king, I still feel betrayed."

Lina sat down, still hesitant to jump to any conclusions. "Does that mean we're… absolved of guilt?"

"Once information about who really stole the book goes public, you and Sir Gourry will likely be issued a fine for the negligence to allow your daughter to play unsupervised in dangerous and restricted areas. That is the extent of it. Do you have any objections?"

"No, sir."

"Good." Philionel gave a curt nod before motioning Lina out of the room. "That's all we require of you right now. Go get some sleep, and I'll meet with you again this afternoon."

"That's it?" Lina glanced around. She'd _just_ sat down, after all, and felt like she was being rushed out. While she didn't want to intrude upon a family issue, she thought there was at least _something_ they wanted from her, and besides that, there was something important she wanted to ask.

"Yes, that's it. You're free to go."

"W-well, I… uh…" Lina stood up, but kept her hands on the table. "...when you referred to Lizzie as my and Gourry's daughter, does that mean that the Kingdom of Seyruun recognizes our relationship as such, or…?"

Amelia answered, her voice not far above a mumble. "Until she's officially adopted, you and Mister Gourry are recognized as her temporary legal guardians."

"Can we… can we make that permanent, or…?"

"I'll take care of it." Amelia answered before Lina could finish. "But let me wait until tomorrow. Today's my birthday."

"Okay. Yes. Thank you." Lina shuffled back toward the door. In all the commotion, she'd forgotten about the date. "Uh, happy birthday, Amelia."

"Thank you, Miss Lina."

* * *

Gourry was sleeping peacefully- quietly for once- when Lina made it back to their bedroom. She wanted to laugh; he'd missed everything. The man was certainly good at sleeping, she'd give him that. It was almost enviable.

She really did love him. It was amazing that he hadn't caught on after all this time. As embarrassing as it might be to express her feelings very bluntly, but she felt like she needed to set the record straight. For her own sake, at least, and for his sake and… and Lizzie's sake as well. Lizzie wanted so badly for the three of them to be a family. Wouldn't that be nice?

Lina sat down on the bed next to him and leaned against his back. Her face rested against his hair and she could feel him breathing under her weight. It was only a brief moment before he became aware of her presence and opened his eyes just enough to check his surroundings.

"Lina? What's going on?"

The best thing to do in this situation would be explaining things honestly, so that's what she did. "The good news is, Zelgadis and I _aren't_ getting charged with treason."

"...what?"

"Okay, so while you were asleep, he and I snuck into the restricted Class A files so that we could figure out what was going on with the classification on Archer's file. We did and got the information we needed, but unfortunately we didn't realize that Lizzie had tagged along with us until it was too late-"

"She _what_?!"

"-and so we didn't notice that she took an important book, so a few hours later, when it was discovered that the book was missing, all hell broke loose in the palace. But, like I said, Zelgadis and I are off the hook, because we didn't physically steal anything, so there's no way to trace us back to the crime."

Gourry was silent, considering the information he'd been given. Finally, he turned his head back and tugged the blankets over his face. "It's too early for this."

"I think so too, don't worry." Lina couldn't help but laugh at his nonchalant response. She rested against his back again, and would've been content to fall asleep that way, but she wanted to speak with him honestly first.

"Gourry, can I talk to you about something?"

"...what is it?"

"It's about what Lizzie said to me. I want to apologize for getting angry at you. I didn't mean any offense, I just don't like being kept secrets from."

As soon as she had mentioned Lizzie and secrets, Gourry sat up so that he could speak with Lina directly. "A-about that! I wanted to talk to you too. I didn't want you to think that… that I wasn't satisfied with our friendship. Our friendship is… it's so important to me. And I don't want to make you uncomfortable or upset by insinuating that my priority is romance rather than-"

"Gourry. Hey. Calm down, will you? I'm not angry about that."

"You're not?"

"No. I don't know why you'd think-" She stopped and caught herself, accidentally drifting back into her self-centered view of things. "I'm sorry, I _do_ understand why you'd think I didn't like you. But, Gourry, you mean the _world_ to me. I struggle to show or respond to affection sometimes, and it can make me seem cold-hearted. But it doesn't mean I don't love you. You've just gotta… be patient with me." Lina's laugh had turned into something a little more nervous. "I do love you. Is that blunt enough for you?"

"...yes…" Gourry was still looking around a little in confusion. "W-wait a minute! _What_?!"

"I asked if that was blunt enough for you." Lina giggled more sincerely this time. "Obviously not."

"N-no, I mean- that's not…" Gourry stammered helplessly. "Y-you… I mean… I didn't think that… I was sure that you…"

"Calm down, Gourry. Too much thinking can be bad for you, y'know." She poked his forehead playfully. "I hope it doesn't take such a great leap of faith for you to understand my feelings. They're the same as yours."

Gourry stared at her for another moment before he finally let himself relax into a relieved smile. " _Lina_!"

It was a little bit awkward with the blankets and pillows, but Gourry moved to hug her and she happily responded. All her earlier nervousness had disappeared as she remembered just how incredibly comfortable she was with him. No matter how complicated or confusing or dangerous things got, their relationship was always a constant that she could count on.

As though he were reading her mind, he pulled away so that he could address her a little more formally. "So… uh… where does this put us?"

"The same place we've always been," Lina answered matter-of-factly. She wasn't sure it was what he wanted to hear, but it was the explanation she felt most comfortable with. "We're just a little more honest with each other now."

"Honest. I like that." He seemed satisfied, offering her both a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. It was a reassuring response for Lina, and she relaxed against his chest, letting her exhaustion finally sink in. She was amazed at how easy it was to fall asleep in such a quiet comfortable environment...

"Come to think of it…" Gourry began quietly, pulling Lina out of the daze she'd fallen into "...where is Lizzie?"

Lina sat up abruptly. "Lizzie! Oh no… she's probably hiding after all that I said to her."

"What did you do?"

"I yelled at her…" Lina pulled the blanket over her knees and rested her head in her hands. "I didn't mean to yell, I was just upset that she'd put herself and us in danger. She didn't deserve it. She wants what anyone wants- to feel like she belongs somewhere. She wants a family, and Amelia and I finally found her one. We need to find her and tell her that everything is going to be alright."

Gourry was nodding along for most of the statement, but toward the end he stopped and began to stammer a protest.

"W-wait, you and Amelia did what? When was this? Why didn't you tell me? See, I was thinking about something, but I didn't want to tell you until-"

"Let me explain first," Lina interrupted. "I know I should've asked you about this first, but things moved too fast."

"B-but I just want to-"

Lina didn't give him any room to speak. "Lizzie made it very clear to me this morning exactly what she wants in the way of a family, and I can't possibly deny her that. Today is Amelia's birthday, and she's going through a lot. I'm not going to make her do any work. But she promised me that tomorrow she'd take care of having you and me recognized as Lizzie's permanent legal guardians. Well, me, and you if you want to. You can say no, of course, since I know it's a lot of responsibility to force onto you, but you should know that Lizzie is really attached to you and I don't envy the struggles of being a single mother-"

It was his turn to cut her off, not with any spoken words, but with a tight hug- tighter than before, if that could be believed. She could barely breathe enough to laugh.

"I take it that's an enthusiastic _yes_?"

He didn't even speak. He simply nodded his head, knowing fully well that he'd gotten his message across.

"Are you going to let go of me so we can go find her? We have all the time in the world for this sort of thing, you know."

"I know."

* * *

"Why do we have to be awake so early? What's the point?" Klaus was dragging his feet as he followed along the road at the outskirts of Seyruun City. Naga was leading the way with more energy than Klaus thought any one person should have when it was still dark out, but… in a way, she reminded him of his sister. Eliza had always been a morning person, waking him up at odd hours throughout their childhoods.

"I don't like mornings either, but today is Amelia's birthday, and we have to get into the city as soon as possible." Naga replied with her usual haughty demeanor, but it was tinted with a hint of frustration. She really wasn't like Eliza after all.

"Why couldn't we have spent the night in the city? That way we would've already been there for-"

"Are you crazy? That would've been an invitation for Mazoku to attack us then and there. I wouldn't want to risk that kind of collateral damage."

"Why are you so concerned about collateral damage? Isn't our safety the most important thing?"

"You'd sacrifice the safety of many other people for your own?"

"That's what any normal human would do! Stop answering my questions with questions!"

"You're the one who needs to stop thinking so selfishly and actually consider-"

Naga cut off her sentence. A noise around them caught her attention- something that sharply contrasted with the rhythm of the insects as they chirped in the early-morning darkness. There was something else in the forest, and the noise was one that no human could possibly ignore.

"Does that… sound like a child to you?"

"Huh?" Klaus was unable to respond with anything coherent before Naga took off down the path. He ran after her, trying hard to listen to what she was hearing. He didn't hear anything… was she simply better trained to listen to her surroundings?

By the time he caught up with her, she had already found the source of the noise and had crouched low to the ground in order to comfort the crying child. Klaus had to stop and take a step back. He recognized the girl only vaguely, as he had no memories of Lizzie beyond when she was about a year old. But this was definitely her. The resemblance to her mother was too much to deny it.

Naga was too busy comforting the child to notice Klaus' reaction. "Don't cry, it's alright. Come on, now, just tell me what happened. Did you come from Seyruun City? Is something bad happening there? It's okay- please just tell Naga why you're upset."

"...I… I did something really bad… and now Mama's in big trouble 'cause of me… she… she said if she goes to jail, she'll never be with Papa or me again, and… and…" Lizzie's composure began to fail, and she sobbed loudly. "...but it's all my fault! If I'm not there, Mama can't get in trouble, right?"

Klaus hovered over the two of them, afraid to get too close. "Lizzie…" he murmured softly, but it was at least loud enough for Naga to hear him.

"Lizzie?" she asked. "Is that your name?"

"H-how'd you know?"

"My sister is a lady named Amelia. Do you know Amelia?"

"Y-yeah. Miss Amelia is Mama and Papa's friend." Lizzie began to wipe tears away from her face.

"Wait a minute. Amelia is your sis-"

Naga gave Klaus no room to talk. "Lizzie, may I see that book you're holding? Whose is it?"

"Mama gave it to me," Lizzie answered, opening the book to show Naga a few pages.

"It says _Lina Inverse_ here on the front cover, and it's enchanted with a spell I can't quite put my finger on."

"Lina Inverse- that's Mama's name. She knows lots of spells and stuff."

"Yes, I know. I'm friends with your mama too." Naga handed the book back to Lizzie and stood up. "I take it your mama doesn't know you're out here? It's dangerous to be on your own like this."

"B-but I'm the reason Mama's in trouble!" Lizzie protested.

"That's all the more reason to stay and face what you've done. It's impossible to run from your problems forever. One way or another, they catch up to you."

Naga regretted being so harsh as she watched the girl dissolve into tears again. She hadn't meant to upset Lizzie, she had just let her own experiences get the better of her. Before she could step in to apologize, however, Klaus knelt down and began speaking to Lizzie.

"Please don't cry. We're going to help you."

Lizzie looked up in confusion. She might have recognized the man's face and voice, but his clean and tidy appearance was so foreign to her, she quickly ruled out any chance of it being who she thought it was. "Who are you?"

"M-me? You don't…" It took Klaus a moment to realize that her unrecognition of him was likely a good thing. "You don't recognize me! Uh, I'm… my name is Klaus-"

Lizzie's eyes immediately widened. She started to pull away, but Klaus was quick to reassure her.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Someone named Klaus hurt you in the past, didn't he? I won't let that guy get anywhere near you. You won't ever have to see him again."

"Really?" Lizzie was still sniffling, but she looked much more comfortable.

"Really." Klaus smiled. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you-"

" _WINDY SHIELD_!"

Lizzie latched onto Klaus in fear as the area around them was enveloped in sound and wind. She screamed, making it more difficult to hear than it already was. There were blurry figures from outside the shield that Klaus could barely see- were there _more_ Mazoku now than there had been? How had they appeared out of nowhere? It was difficult to see, and Naga had to yell in order to be heard over the clamor.

"I _knew_ it! They were just waiting for Lizzie and me to be in the same place before attacking. Didn't grandfather get my letter?"

"What should we do?" Klaus yelled back.

"We're safe as long as this shield is up but I can't keep it up forever and I can't fire any attacks while I've got it up. When I bring it down in just a moment, I want you to run. The Mazoku want me more than they want Lizzie, I'm sure of that. You take Lizzie and go while I hold off these Mazoku-"

"-w-wait a minute! Go _where?!_ "

"Somewhere that's not here, of course."

"That's not specific enough!"

"What do you expect? How's this for you? If you value your life, run now and think later."


	14. Running in Circles

I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter up! As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **14- Running in Circles**

"I'm so sorry, Lady Lina. We haven't seen her at all in the North Wing."

"Thank you for looking. We'll keep searching in the South Wing, then." Lina dismissed the attendant calmly and politely, but in her mind she was anything but calm. A search around the palace had turned up no sign of Lizzie. No matter what doubts anyone might've had about Lina's parental instincts, there was no denying that she made one hell of a frantic mother, and after only twenty minutes of searching, there was already a rumor going around the halls that the Enemy of All Who Live would burn down Seyruun to find her daughter if she had to. Needless to say, everyone was pitching in to help the search.

"Any luck with the North Wing?" Amelia had just returned from her own search, a second pass over the courtyards, the look on her face betraying that it had been unsuccessful.

"Unfortunately, no." Lina shook her head. "I don't get it. I don't see where she could possibly be hiding. We've checked the tea room, the courtyards, the kitchen, even the A Classification area where I was sure she must've gone back. Zelgadis has thoroughly inspected the ventilation, Gourry's been checking all the basements and abandoned rooms… I don't think there's an inch of this palace we haven't covered."

Gourry's voice joined in the conversation from down the hallway. "She'd not in the East Wing cellar. That's the last one I had to check too."

"Thank you for trying, Gourry." Lina sighed and leaned her back against the wall. She was tired, and this whole fiasco was just exhausting her further. "This is all my fault. I can't believe I would let this happen-" She didn't get very far before a familiar stone hand tapped her on the forehead.

"We don't have time for your self-pity, Lina," Zelgadis interrupted. "Don't you have any more ideas? Any at all?"

Lina frowned, pressing her lips together as she thought. "Well… I guess… we've looked all the places that she could logically be. I don't know where she could have gone or what she might be doing-" She stopped and her eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute! Have any of you seen my notebook? I gave it to Lizzie when Zelgadis and I were studying the files, and she still had it the last time I saw her."

"Lina, this is no time to worry about your notebook!" Gourry protested. "We have to worry about _Lizzie_!"

"I know. That's exactly why I'm worried about my notebook. Has anyone seen it?"

There was a period of silence. Amelia and Zelgadis looked at one another and then back at Lina, shaking their heads. Gourry likewise shook his in assurance that he hadn't seen the notebook since the other day. Lina took a few steps forward, stopped as though consumed with an idea, and then began pacing back and forth across the width of the hallway.

"That notebook has a lot of data from some personal magical studies in it. I marked it with a magical signature so that I could find it using a _Divine_ spell. If Lizzie has that notebook, I can use that spell to find her."

"Why didn't you think of this before?!" Gourry demanded, grabbing hold of Lina's arm. She frowned and jerked it away.

"I don't have any proof that she has the notebook. For all we know, I could use the spell and it would lead us to find the thing under the sofa in the tea room."

"You'll never know if you try, though, right?"

"I know that! Just give me a minute to cast the spell!"

The rest of the group watched as Lina recited the incantation. There was a moment in which she said nothing, and then cast the spell again. Gourry reached out to her uneasily.

"Is… everything alright?"

"No!" Lina jumped back. "Everything is _not_ alright! Someone's taken my notebook out of the city! It's somewhere out to the northeast."

" _What_?!"

"I don't get it. I mean, it's been long enough that she could've gotten there on her own, but I didn't think she was so upset that she'd run away. The only other explanation is that someone kidnapped her, but…"

"Th-that can't be!" Gourry interrupted. "The whole complex has been filled with people on high-alert for hours! No one could get in and out with Lizzie in that time- not even a Mazoku!"

"I'd like to believe that, Gourry, but with the situation the way it is, I don't want to take any chances." Lina shook her head. "We have to get out there and search for her. She- or whoever has the notebook- is moving, so I can't use the _Divine_ spell to pinpoint the exact location."

"We can split up to cover more area, then." Zelgadis offered. "Amelia and I will help as much as we can."

"If we're going to split up, though," Amelia began, stepping into the middle of the group, "what's going to happen if Zelgadis and I find her first? She's most comfortable with Miss Lina and Mister Gourry. Maybe Mister Gourry and I can search in one direction, while Miss Lina and Zelgadis search in another, so that, no matter who finds her, she'll feel safe."

No one could argue with that logic. Before anyone could protest or give another idea, Lina grabbed hold of Zelgadis' arm and began to drag him down the hallway. Amelia and Gourry glanced at one another. It seemed the decision had already been made.

* * *

Klaus ran until his legs were ready to give out. He was carrying Lizzie, so perhaps that made it harder, but he'd never had much stamina to begin with. Sure, the situation was terrifying, but an adrenaline rush could only propel a body so far before it finally broke down.

Finally, he found a spot to rest and fell to his knees, struggling to catch his breath. It was a while after sunrise, but the sky was overcast, and the forest was cloaked in shadow. Lizzie stood up and tugged on Klaus' arm.

"We hafta keep going! What if the monsters come back?"

"...Miss Naga is... taking care of the monsters…" Klaus stammered between deep breaths. "...I hope…"

That was the wrong thing to say, he found, as a chill seemed to move through the air around them. Lizzie jumped and huddled back next to her uncle just in time to see a figure materialize on the path in front of them. She recognized that figure.

"Y-you again!" Klaus stammered in recognition.

" _That should be my line,_ " the Mazoku answered. " _It seems that Miss Gracia has turned you into quite a pest._ "

Klaus didn't want to glorify that observation with a response. "I promised to protect Lizzie. If you want to get to her, you'll have to go through me."

" _Gladly_."

Klaus felt himself being picked up from behind, the feeling of dark energy wrapping itself around his neck. He hadn't expected it, as the Mazoku across from him had not moved. _How many of these guys are there?!_ He didn't have much time to think, as he began to grow dizzy and the sound of Lizzie screaming made his head spin…

" _ELMEKIA LANCE!_ "

Klaus heard a man's voice chant the spell, and immediately felt the energy around his neck disappear. He fell to the ground, once again trying to catch his breath, and felt Lizzie struggle to be released from his arms. A woman's voice was calling her name, and Lizzie was crying and yelling back.

"MAMA! MAMA!"

Once Klaus managed a better view of his surroundings, he found Lizzie in the arms of a young woman who seemed to be murmuring words of comfort to the girl as she held her close and gently stroked her hair. Klaus imagined that this could only be the infamous Lina Inverse, but the Mazoku's stories of Lina kidnapping Lizzie as a pawn in a game of cat and mouse obviously couldn't be further from the truth.

"Stay on your toes, Lina. Those Mazoku didn't leave; they're just hiding." The same man who'd fired the earlier spell tapped her on the shoulder, and she stood up with Lizzie still in her arms.

"I know, I know. Let me have a moment with my daughter, will you?"

Meanwhile, Klaus drew closer to Zelgadis in order to get a better idea of what was going on. "I assume that she's Lina Inverse… and you are… Mister Gabriev…?"

"Close, but not quite." Zelgadis shook his head. "I'm Sir Greywords, of the kingdom of Seyruun, personal bodyguard to Princess Amelia. She asked me to accompany Lina."

" _P-princess_ Amelia?"

"Is there a problem?"

"But that would mean that Naga is-"

"You know Naga?" Lina rejoined the conversation. She was still holding Lizzie, but the girl had calmed down significantly and was resting placidly with her head against Lina's chest. "Where is she?"

"The two of us were traveling to Seyruun City when we met up with Lizzie. Those monsters attacked us almost as soon as we met up, but Naga said that the monsters wanted her more than Lizzie, so we should run while she fought them. I have no idea how many there were, since two of them followed Lizzie and me."

"Gracia could be in danger, then," Zelgadis responded. "We have to find her."

"I'm not worried about her, since I know for a fact that she can hold her own against monsters." Lina shook her head. "But if the Mazoku are after both Naga and Lizzie, the ones following us will probably wait until we're all together to attack. That way we can take them all out at once."

She turned and motioned for Klaus to lead them back down the path, but stopped abruptly as the path was obscured by a dark presence. Klaus yelped in surprise, but Lina just smiled.

" _You're mistaken if you think Mazoku plans are so easy to decipher._ "

"I figured as much." Lina was still cradling Lizzie in her arms, but even her protective stance couldn't change the triumphant smirk she held on her face. "You Mazoku really don't like to be figured out, do you?"

* * *

For a brief moment, Gourry wasn't sure which was the human and which was the Mazoku.

His sharp hearing had helped him and Amelia find a nearby conflict that was happening between some unknown forces, but when they got there, it became clear that it wasn't who they were looking for. Gourry was a little frightened by the appearance of the woman who was fighting, but Amelia recognized her almost immediately and jumped in before Gourry could question what was going on. There were two Mazoku fighting the one human, but as soon as another human jumped in, they appeared taken off-guard and disappeared. There was a long pause as the two girls waited to see where the Mazoku were going to appear next, but they didn't. Gourry drew his sword and stepped beside them, addressing the two of them for the first time.

"Where'd those guys go? Are they hiding, or did they leave to go somewhere else?"

"That's pretty sad of them, to hide when they're outnumbered," the frightening woman began. "Perhaps they realized that they're no match for even- _ELMEKIA LANCE_!" Her spell made contact with its target almost as soon as it materialized onto the physical plane, and there was a loud screeching noise as the Mazoku's physical form disintegrated. Before she could celebrate, however, the second Mazoku appeared and grabbed her by the neck-

" _VISFARANK_!"

Even after all the confusion and secrecy, there was no way Amelia was letting a Mazoku even touch her sister.

The second Mazoku didn't disintegrate like the first had, but as it disappeared from the physical plane, there was no question that it was injured enough that it wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

With the Mazoku taken care of, the air in the clearing calmed and the group could address each other personally.

"Amelia, you are still the only person I know with the guts to punch a Mazoku with your bare fists."

Gourry has assumed that, by the way the two girls were fighting alongside each other, they knew one another. However, for all the friendliness that the unfamiliar woman greeted Amelia with, she didn't appear to share it.

"I wouldn't consider Visfarank-enchanted fists bare," Amelia shot in reply. "That aside, I assume those Mazoku are the ones you've been fighting for a while? The ones you warned grandfather about in your letters to him but didn't care to mention to me?"

"Amelia what are you talking about?"

Amelia didn't answer the question directly. "Out of all the people in this family, I thought for sure that _you_ were one I could trust! I _believed_ you, Gracia- or, should I call you Naga?"

Naga took a step back. "You're really upset about that? It wasn't my intention to lie to you, things just got out of hand. I omitted some things, yes, but I never outright lied."

" _Some things_?!" Amelia's voice cracked as she spoke. "For years, you've neglected to tell us about a complete alternate identity, and that was to keep from telling us the truth about Mom! All because... because..." Amelia wiped a few tears from the edges of her eyes. "...because you knew how much it would hurt us..."

"I'm so sorry, Amelia."

"N-no, I'm sorry." Amelia ran to hug her sister, and the two spent a long moment in a tight embrace. Gourry watched the two, feeling slightly left out and awkward, but also moved by the emotion of the scene. A sudden flash of panic fell over his mind as he inevitably began to think of Lina and Lizzie.

"M-Miss Gracia... Naga... whichever you prefer... do you know anything abo-"

He was cut off as Naga approached him, looking him over curiously. "You're not Sir Zelgadis. Then you must be...? Oh!" She clapped her hands loudly, causing him to jump back. "You're Gourry! I knew that!"

"How do you know my name?"

Instead of giving an answer, Naga let out a long, loud laugh. Gourry covered his ears instinctively. And he'd thought her appearance had been frightening…

"Amelia tells me all about you in her letters. The world's finest swordsman, former wielder of the Sword of Light, Lina Inverse's bodyguard and lover-"

"H-hold on a second!" Gourry protested. "Amelia, what have you been telling her?"

Naga tilted her head in surprise. "Hm? Are you saying you're _not_ Lina's lover? Amelia was so sure that you were."

Amelia blushed and tried to avoid eye contact with Gourry. He, on the other hand, was too embarrassed to put the blame on anyone.

"Up until this morning, I didn't even think she returned my feelings! Did everyone know that but me?"

Amelia was grateful that her sister's laughter prevented her from answering. She let Naga take over the conversation, turning her attention instead to their surroundings in order to watch for more Mazoku.

"Up until this morning? So, what, did Lina confess her feelings to you? Oh, that's beautiful!"

"C-could we… talk about something else?" Gourry scratched his cheek, not completely comfortable discussing the intimate details of his and Lina's budding relationship with someone who was a total stranger to him. "Have you seen a little girl, about this tall, with-"

"Lizzie is with her uncle."

"What?!" Gourry stepped back, surprised first of all that Naga knew Lizzie's name. "You mean her uncle that was being controlled by Mazoku?"

"He's not under Mazoku control anymore. I sent him and Lizzie away to get them away from the Mazoku, but I haven't seen the leader of them. It and some of its buddies must have gone after them…"

"Then what are we doing here?!"

"He's right, Gracia," Amelia agreed. "We need to find them before the situation gets any worse-"

She was interrupted by Gourry as he took off through the trees. Naga gasped and ran after him, calling out for him to wait, as he "didn't know where he was going." Amelia groaned as she ran after them- this was going to be tougher than she'd thought.

* * *

Lizzie hadn't wanted to let go of Lina, but Lina knew that she wouldn't be able to safely fight with a little girl hanging onto her neck. She returned Lizzie to Klaus' care temporarily so that she could better defend them- because they certainly needed it.

Lina and Zelgadis took turns providing a protective barrier while the other shot offensive spells. It worked for a short time, at least, but they found that the Mazoku seemed to be toying with them.

"ELMEKIA LANCE! ELME- hey!" Lina jumped back, tugging her cape in front of her to shield her face. "Zel, we can't keep this up! This guy's running circles around us, waiting for us to get tired. We have to work together if we're gonna pin him down."

"And leave Lizzie vulnerable? That's what he wants."

"If this keeps up, we're gonna run out of strength and leave Lizzie vulnerable anyway."

"Do you trust Klaus to keep her safe in the meantime? She's the Mazoku's real target, so as soon as we let down the barrier, he'll go after her immediately."

"Not if we put pressure on him. Let me talk to Klaus."

"For you to do that, I'll have to take down the barrier momentarily. Will that be okay?"

Lina didn't have time to think it over. The ground below her suddenly turned dark, and she let out a scream as her feet began to sink into the earth. "Forget the barrier, Zel! Back me up!"

Zelgadis turned his attention away from Klaus and Lizzie long enough to face the Mazoku. " _Dug Haut_!" He hoped that an earth spell would negate what the creature was doing to the ground, however, the spell's spires all crumbled into black dust just as soon as they rose from the ground. Zelgadis cursed under his breath and tried to double back, but his feet got caught up in the same mire that had trapped Lina.

Lina, meanwhile, had cast a levitation spell, managing to pull her feet out of the ground. She hadn't been caught magically, just physically- though her boots would need a thorough cleaning after this. Yuck! Maybe Gourry would buy her new ones if she asked for them nicely. A wedding present, perhaps? That was not a train of thought she should be having in the middle of a battle.

She çaught sight of Zelgadis, who seemed to be trying to signal her. Assuming what he had in mind, she turned her attention to the Mazoku, who, in the meantime, had trapped Klaus in the same dark substance. Lizzie was yelling and clinging to her uncle to keep from getting pulled into the Mazoku's grasp. Lina took a deep breath and started chanting loudly.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..."

The Mazoku turned its attention to her suddenly, letting go of Lizzie. "That spell! You wouldn't-"

"...let the fools who stand before me be destroyed... DRAGON- made'ya look! LIGHTING!"

By the time the lighting spell materialized in her hand, the Mazoku had given her its full attention- and Zelgadis had finished readying his spell.

"RA TILT!"

The Mazoku screeched as the powerful astral spell dug into its physical form. Lina smiled as she watched the ground turn back to normal and Klaus and Lizzie regain their footing. Lizzie ran to Lina's side, and Lina scooped up the girl in her arms. The Mazoku was still making a racket, but it was gravely injured. They would have to take care of finishing it off in a moment.

"Mama, I'm scared!"

"I know, I know," Lina whispered as she stroked the girl's hair in an effort to calm her down. "But it can't hurt you anymore. Zelgadis is going to take care of it."

Lizzie sniffled. "You promise?"

"I-"

"BURST RONDO!"

The blast was more lights and smoke than it was actual force, but the shock wave was enough to knock Lina off her feet- along with the rest of the group. Lina recognized the voice. She wanted to yell at Naga for butting in where she didn't need to be, but that could come later, when everyone was safe. The confusion had separated them all, and she was too turned around to figure out right away where Lizzie had gone.

"Lizzie?" That was Gourry's voice. He reached Lina before the dust cleared, helping to pull her to her feet. "Where is Lizzie?"

"I just had her with me before you guys got here!" Lina responded, tugging away from his hand. "Li-"

Simultaneously, there was the sound of a child's scream, and an exclamation of " _SHADOW SNAP_!"

Lizzie continued to scream and struggle against the Mazoku's grip. Meanwhile, Zelgadis' spell held the Mazoku in place, preventing it from retreating to the astral plane with its captive.

"Lizzie!" Lina started in the Mazoku's direction, but Gourry grabbed her hand and held her back as he saw the Mazoku tighten its grip on Lizzie's neck.

" _Don't get any closer_."


	15. Cover to Cover

I apologize again for being late. This is the last chapter, so there's no more that I can accidentally withhold from you- for my next story, I'll pick an update day that's better for my work schedule. As usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **15- Cover to Cover**

" _Don't get any closer_."

"Why not? You won't hurt her- you need her." Zelgadis stepped forward and readied a White Magic spell in his hands. " _Elmekia-"_

"Wait."

Naga took a step toward the Mazoku, putting her hand up to cut Zelgadis off. The Mazoku responded by tightening its grip on Lizzie, whose cries had subsided into pitiful whimpers by this point.

"I know that, even in your current state, it would take a lot to convince you to let go of that girl. But if we destroy you now, your superiors will simply come after us, won't they?"

"Gracia-" Amelia began, but Zelgadis grabbed her arm to stop her.

" _What of it? You destroyed what was rightfully ours. We're merely looking for reparations-"_

"You Mazoku put at least some value on self-preservation, don't you? If we were to let you go, would you be willing to do something for us?"

" _I wouldn't stop pursuing you, if that's what you're asking._ "

"It's not me I'm asking for. It's the girl. I'm not opposed to continuing to fight you- it's been long enough that I want to finish this properly. But for the convenience of not having to recreate a servant of your power, do you think your master would be willing to make a trade? A Mazoku life for a human life. It's a bargain for you."

" _We Mazoku are loyal to our masters, even in the face of our own destruction. I would never-"_

"So you think your master would be more pleased for you to be destroyed?" Lina spoke up. Naga glared at her for butting into the conversation, but Lina didn't see it. She was focused only on Lizzie at that moment.

"... _fine, then. Take the spell off me, and I'll release the girl._ "

"Release her first," Zelgadis instructed. "then I'll remove the spell."

There was a tense moment as they waited for the Mazoku to respond, but it eventually released its grip on Lizzie. She took some time to realize that she was really free, but when she finally did, she stumbled desperately over to where Lina and Gourry were. Gourry scooped her up in his arms, shielding her while Lina stepped in front of them protectively.

When Zelgadis stepped forward to remove his sword and release the spell, he expected the Mazoku to immediately disappear once its access to the astral plane had been restored. It did, however it appeared again behind Naga, preparing a surprise attack. By the time that she realized it was there, it was too late to dodge-

" _VISFARANK!_ "

Amelia's fist slammed into the Mazoku from the side, causing its attack to dissipate and its physical form to fly back. It skidded across the ground and picked itself up weakly, glaring at the group before finally disappearing.

A brief silence followed, as everyone waited to see if the Mazoku would appear again. Finally, Naga sighed and stepped back. "Judging by its condition, I don't think that Mazoku is going to be back for a while. We can rest."

"Gracia!" The magic had disappeared from around Amelia's hands, and she grabbed her sister's shoulders, tugging her down so that they were at eye level with one another. "Why did you let that Mazoku go? It's only going to come back for you later!"

"Even if I destroyed it, there's no guarantee that its master would leave me or Lizzie alone after that. Besides," Naga smiled. "I've been sparring with that same Mazoku for years. It would be unsatisfying to leave things like this."

"But isn't that the Mazoku who organized Mom's death?"

Amelia's question wiped the smile off Naga's face. "...that Mazoku oversaw Booley and Archer, but I don't know if it was _that_ Mazoku specifically who ordered the hit. Either way, don't you think Mom would have preferred that we ensured the safety of others before getting revenge?"

"Mom believed in Justice and fair punishments."

"Yes, but she was a _mother_. She died thinking of her children. She wouldn't want the safety of a child put in jeopardy for something so petty as revenge."

Amelia's shoulders drooped, and she stumbled into her sister's arms. The two girls stood in a tight embrace for a long moment, long enough for the tension of the situation to melt away so that they could truly appreciate each other's company.

Meanwhile, Klaus had managed to pull himself to his feet and approached where Lina, Gourry, and Lizzie were celebrating together. He spent a brief moment wringing his hands and steeling his nerves to speak up. The whole experience had shaken him, and on top of that, he felt as though he had no right to be involved in Lizzie's life. But, for his own sake, he had to ask.

"Um… Miss Inverse? Mister Gabriev…? What are your plans from here? I mean… I don't want to intrude, but… where is Lizzie going to…?"

"We're adopting her." "She's going to live with us."

Lina and Gourry both answered at once, and turned to look at each other with an amused smile. Lizzie was still in Gourry's arms, and she squirmed excitedly as she listened to them.

"We're a family." Lizzie joined in with a big smile. She was only repeating what Lina had said to her earlier, but the look on her face showed that she believed it wholeheartedly.

"You don't have any objections to that, do you?" Lina asked. She realized after a moment that she'd sounded a little more threatening than she'd have liked. Klaus, however, didn't seem intimidated.

"Of course not! I'm just sorry that it took this long for Lizzie to find a real family. Every kid deserves that. Eliza wished the world for her, but… that's something neither she nor I could give."

Lina cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's obvious that you care for her very much. We wouldn't want to keep her from you entirely. Let's keep in touch, alright?"

Klaus' face lit up. "Y-yes! Of course! I know I have a long way to go in rebuilding my life, but I promise, I'll do everything I can for Lizzie's sake!"

"Hear that, Lizzie?" Gourry shifted her weight in his arms, allowing her to have a better look at her surroundings. "There are lots of people who love you and want to take care of you. Isn't that great?"

Lizzie didn't respond verbally, but she giggled and squeezed her arms tightly around Gourry's neck.

"You may have to keep an eye out for that Mazoku until I defeat him for good. I don't trust Mazoku to keep their word." Naga's voice broke into the conversation, drawing the attention away from Lizzie. Lina stepped forward to speak with her old friend for the first time, but Naga seemed interested in addressing Klaus first. Lina glanced over to were Amelia and Zelgadis were engaged in their own conversation, but she immediately recognized the subtle intimacy of the situation and turned away again to give them some privacy. Naga's discussion with Klaus was much more interesting, anyway.

"-I _promise_ there's plenty of jobs for you in Seyruun City! And with my recommendation, you'll surely get hired." Naga laughed loudly. "They'd be silly not to hire you!"

"Th-thank you, Naga, but… I'd really like to get a job through my own merit rather than being given one out of pity."

"OHOHOHO, if you think Naga the Serpent gives recommendations out of pity, you're sadly mistaken! I'd give you a recommendation because I think you're qualified! Besides, it would just be a temporary position. A summer job, to get your foot in the door and put something on your resume. When you show everyone what a hard worker you are, you'll surely come away highly recommended. With a recommendation from the Seyruun Palace, you could get a job anywhere- especially in that tiny town that you came from!"

The mention of his hometown brought a thoughtful smile to Klaus' face. "I could show my family… Aunt Sam and all my friends… I could show them that I've really turned things around. I want them to believe in me- to trust that I'm moving in the right direction-"

He was cut off as Naga slapped him on the back, hard enough to knock the wind out of him. He coughed a few times as he listened to her speak.

"Trust has to be earned, you know! It's no good to say you're going to do something and not follow through. You have to put the work in. If you can do that, you're on your way to getting where you want to go. Understand?"

Klaus nodded mutely, but before he could offer any thanks, Naga had turned her attention to Lina and Gourry and was already starting a conversation with them.

"I must admit, I'm impressed, Lina! You've done well for yourself!" She laughed and then gestured to Gourry. "I approve of him. Well done."

Lina felt a sarcastic smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Oh, thank _gods_ Naga approves of him. What would I do without her approval?"

"OHOHO, you really haven't changed a bit!"

"Well, neither have you!"

Gourry laughed as he watched the two, and Lizzie laughed in response to his laughter. Lina turned to them and glared, but it wasn't truly menacing so much as it was annoyed at their amusement over the situation. Naga put her arm around Lina's shoulder and reached out to tug at Gourry's arm.

"So, when are you two getting married? I'll be invited, right?"

Lina stiffened. "I-I don't think that's something we're ready to discuss yet! There's so much else we have to figure out first!"

Naga stared at her, glanced over at Gourry, and then back at Lina. "Ah, fair enough. Be sure to invite me when you get around to it, though."

Lina stepped away from Naga, grabbing Gourry's hand and pulling him away as well. "We're getting eloped," she muttered, "and not inviting anybody."

"Fair enough."

Lizzie leaned over Gourry's shoulder. "What's _eloped_?"

"It means you get married in secret," Gourry explained.

"Secret? So don't tell anybody?" She pressed her finger against her lips like she'd seen done before. Gourry smiled and mimicked the gesture.

"That's right. Shh. Don't tell anybody."

"Got it! And I won't tell anybody for real this time, I promise!"

"Hey, you three! Quit whispering and get over here! It's someone's birthday today, don't forget!"

Naga's voice interrupted the moment between them, so Lina and Gourry turned back to the group. Naga had linked her arms with Amelia's and was swinging her sister around excitedly.

"We'll have to do something fun to celebrate our victory today as well! You get to decide, Amelia- what do you want to do? It can be anything, just name it! Nothing is too good for Amelia!"

"A-actually…" Amelia began to speak as she was swung around, and it caused Naga to stop so that she could hear what Amelia was saying. "…I did wake up about two-thirty this morning… so all I really want to do is get some sleep now."

"…oh." Naga let go. "Well, why didn't you say so? Everyone, let's get back to the palace so that my sister can rest! What are birthdays for, if not for that?"

Lina glanced weakly over at Zelgadis, the exhaustion from their all-nighter finally becoming apparent now that the excitement had died down. "That's the best idea I've heard all day."

"You're not kidding."

Lizzie, of course, had already fallen asleep in Gourry's arms.

* * *

"Samantha, have you seen Marley come by here? She's late getting back from her break again. I've told her not to leave the store, since it's so easy to lose track of time in the marketplace, but she never listens."

Samantha took a step away from the counter of her stall for a moment to speak with her friend. "No, I can't say I have. She came by here on break yesterday, but she hasn't been here today. Sorry."

"Ah, that's fine." The grocer sighed, scratching his head. "I don't want to get rid of her, because she's such a good employee when she's working, but she's never on-time. It's troublesome."

"I'll keep an eye out for her in the future, and give her a friendly reminder that you rely on her to be present for work."

"Would you? Thank you so much-"

"Excuse me? Are you open?"

Samantha was pulled from her conversation by a man's voice at the counter. "I'm so sorry about that! What can I help you wi- oh!" It took her a moment to place the names. "You're… Mister Gourry! Miss Lina!"

"Yeah. Sorry to surprise you. We didn't think to send a letter ahead and tell you we were visiting." Lina scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Meanwhile, the little girl behind her jumped up a few times so that she could see over the countertop. Lina noticed, and leaned down to pick her up.

"Hello!"

Samantha blinked in surprise. "L-Lizzie!"

"Is that Lizzie? Good gods, I didn't even recognize her." The grocer almost shoved Samantha aside in his rush to see the girl.

"This is Mister Gourry and Miss Lina, the two that I told you about," Samantha explained.

"Lizzie's father and his girlfriend, you mean?"

"Fiancée." Gourry corrected him, keeping one hand on Lina's shoulder.

"Congratulations!" Samantha clapped her hands happily. "Have you set a date for the wedding yet?"

"Not yet. We've had more important things to worry about. There's no rush." Lina leaned her head against Lizzie's affectionately. "Do you see something you like, Lizzie?"

"Mama, I want a piece of the pumpkin cake!"

"What pumpkin cake?"

"That one- the one that has a picture of a pumpkin on the sign."

Lina put Lizzie back onto the ground and knelt beside her so that they could both see the sign on the same level. "Read the sign, though. What does the sign say?"

"It says pumpkin. See? P-u-m-p-"

"What does the next word say? Pumpkin…?"

"Cake!"

"You're guessing. What does it _say_?"

"…r…roll…" Lizzie sighed in resignation. "Pumpkin roll."

"It is a cake, though. A roll cake," Samantha began, but Gourry waved a hand to cut her off.

"I know that. We're working on improving her reading skills."

"Oh, I see."

"Mama, can I have a piece of the pumpkin roll cake? Pleeeeeease?"

"Of course! I said you could, didn't I?" Lina laughed as she stood up, taking Lizzie's hand in one of hers and fishing for her coin purse with the other.

There was laughter and idle chatting as Samantha retrieved the slice of pumpkin roll for Lizzie and spoke with Lina and Gourry about the purpose of their visit. When Lina said it was to pay respects to Eliza's memory on her birthday, she expected to receive a question about how they knew when Eliza's birthday _was_ , but Samantha took it at face value. Of course- she thought that Gourry and Eliza had been close. He should have known when Eliza's birthday was. Lizzie then bragged about the trip she'd just taken with Lina and Gourry, talking all about seeing the ocean for the first time and playing at the beach.

Meanwhile, Lina took a letter out of her bag and handed it to Samantha. "This is from Klaus, by the way. He apologizes for waiting months to contact you, but h wanted to wait until he was established with a decent job in Seyruun City before sending anything. The temporary position he was working was just for the summer, but now he's working a full-time position in the palace. Something in the kitchen, I think. He wanted you to know that he's doing well."

Samantha eyed the envelope and finally reached out to take it with a shaky hand. She looked like she might cry. "Oh, Klaus. Thank goodness. I was so worried… so worried…" She looked up again. "How long are you going to be staying here?"

"A few days," Lina answered. "Eliza's birthday is tomorrow, and we also came for the autumn leaf-viewing that's supposed to be best in this region next week. We're going to wander toward the hot springs that's just south of here to spend some time."

"I see." Samantha nodded. "Thank you two. Not only for the letter, but… for Eliza's sake as well. I know that, if she could see where Lizzie is now, she'd be so happy."

"I think so too." Gourry smiled and nodded.

Lina grinned. "No matter what she may have done in her life"- _not the least of which being_ _murdering more than a few Mazoku conspirators_ \- "Eliza was a mother, and would want everything in the world for her daughter."

She could understand that.

* * *

(Thank you to everyone who's read this far. I'm so appreciative for all of your support and hope you enjoyed it! As per my annual tradition, I'm devoting the month of November to original projects, so I should hopefully be back with more fics in December or January. I wish everyone well, and I look forward to continuing with the next story.)


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